An Amateur Fireman Part 28

During the long journey, for neither Seth nor Teddy could afford to pay ten cents for car-fare, the latter told as nearly as he could remember Sam Barney's version of his visit to "Philadelphy."

"He says the way he figgered it out at first, Jip Collins ought'er been over there; but he'd found out his mistake soon enough if you fellers hadn't hurried him off."

"He didn't go for most a day after he acted 'bout crazy to get away."

"That's one of his excuses, of course; I'm jest givin' you the fairy story he flashed up to me. He says he wasn't any sooner in the train than he began to work the plan over in his mind, same's all the detectives do, an' it didn't take him a great while to figger how it was. At the jump he thought it was mighty queer that Bill Dean should go 'round raisin' money to send him away, an' after he was in the cars he tumbled to himself, don't you see? To hear him tell it you'd believe all he had to do was to set down an' think over things to find out jest what was what."

"It's a big pity he couldn't think who stole his money," Seth interrupted. "'Cordin' to his story he's been after the thief ever since."

"He says he would have caught him if this case of Jip's hadn't turned up, an' seein's it was so much bigger he dropped everything else. Well, after he made up his mind that the fellers what chipped in the money was tryin' to run him out of town, the train started, so of course he had to keep on; but he'd fixed it with himself that he was bound to come straight back soon's he could. I reckon he swelled himself 'round the depot over in Philadelphy, blew in the sixteen cents he had, an' give some of the fellers a terrible stiff 'bout bein' a detective, till he borrowed money of 'em to come back. The way he tells it is that jest as soon as he got there people knew who he was, an' give him a great reception. He makes out that there was a slat of folks hangin' round the station tryin' to get a chance to see him; but that's all in your eye, of course."

"Sam Barney must be a fool if he thinks anybody is goin' to believe such yarns."

"He must think it, else he wouldn't tell 'em. Now, 'cordin' to his story, some of them fellers was jest loaded with the stuff, and they put up the price of a railroad ticket back. I don't know what he did with himself while he was in the town, 'cause you can't make out anything by what he says."

"Why didn't he come back on the next train if everybody was ready to lend him money?"

"He says he jest actually couldn't get away from the crowd that wanted to see him an' talk to him, so he stayed a spell to give 'em a good time by showin' himself. Then when he got ready he swings on board, an' over he comes. But he's chafin' under the collar, Seth, 'cause the fellers sent him off when he ought'er have stayed, an' that's why he's so down on Jip Collins."

"He was jest as bad before Bill Dean ever begun to raise money to get rid of him, else it would have been different. I tried to make him promise to let Jip alone, an' he wouldn't listen to any talk at all. He thinks it'll be a big thing for him in case he puts it through. If I couldn't get on in the world except it was by sendin' some feller to jail, I'd stick to sellin' papers or blackin' boots the rest of my life."

"Sam is pretty near green thinkin' you've got ahead so fast; but says that jest as soon as he has worked the case up against Jip he'll smash your racket all to pieces."

"Have you seen him since he did this terrible fine piece of detective work?"

"No; I hadn't heard anythin' 'bout it till Dan hailed me."

For some time after this Seth remained silent trying to devise a plan by which he could aid the unfortunate firebug; but the more he considered the matter the less probable did it seem that either he or his comrades could in any way benefit the prisoner.

"I'm 'fraid Jip will go up the river," he said at length, and Teddy replied mournfully:

"I guess he's a goner for a fact, an' all on account of Sam Barney's wantin' to show hisself a detective."

When the two had come to their journey's end Dan and Bill Dean were seen solemnly pacing to and fro on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the court-room, looking sadly disheartened.

"Have you done anythin' yet?" Seth asked in a low tone as he joined them.

"There's nothin' we can do. Jip's locked up, an' Sam Barney's struttin'

'round the streets showin' hisself off for a first-cla.s.s detective," Dan replied in a tone of irritation.

"Do you know how he happened to nab him?"

"It must have been that Denny Macey give him away," Bill Dean replied, "for I saw Jip this mornin' early, an' he 'greed to keep out er sight."

"Do you s'pose he stayed on the street after that?"

"Denny knew where he slept last night, and must have told Sam, jest as some of the fellers say he threatened to do."

"Well," Seth said after a brief reflection, "if you can't help him, what's the use of standin' here?"

"We was waitin' for you. I thought, an' so did Dan, that perhaps the driver of Ninety-four might cook up some kind of a plan we could work through. Anyhow, it don't seem as though it would do much harm for you to talk with him."

"Of course it won't; but if it wasn't that Jip's likely to be sent to jail for a good many years I wouldn't bother him, 'cause it don't seem the square shake for me to keep runnin' there whenever things turn wrong."

"It would be pretty tough to let Jip be sent up for four or five years jest 'cause you didn't want to bother Ninety-four's crew."

"I know that, Bill, an' I'm goin' to talk to Mr. Davis now. I was only sayin' I wouldn't do it if things wasn't the way they are. I'll go ahead, an' you fellers meet me up to the room after I get through, 'cause it won't do for all hands to loaf 'round in front of the engine-house."

To this proposition those who were ready to sacrifice their own pleasure and interests in order to aid the penitent firebug made no demur, and Seth set out at full speed, leaving the others to follow at a more leisurely pace.

"h.e.l.lo, Amateur! It seems to me you've knocked off work kind-er late to-night?" 'Lish Davis cried as the boy entered the engine-house.

"Mr. Fernald, the man who runs the gymnasium, told me I was to go away every night at six o'clock----"

"So Josh has taken you in hand as he promised, eh?"

"He's given me a chance up in the gymnasium, where I can't help seein' a good deal of the drillin' even when I'm workin', an' it seems as though it was a mighty soft snap."

"Josh ain't a man who'll make it very soft for any boy. You've got to toe the mark pretty straight with him, Amateur; but if it so be you strike him just right things will move along in great shape. Why didn't you leave headquarters as he told you?"

"I did, sir; but Teddy Bowser was waitin' outside to tell me that Sam Barney has had Jip Collins 'rested for settin' fire to the lumber-yard."

"So, so! He has, eh? I thought you s.h.i.+pped that bloomin' detective over to Philadelphia?"

"That's what we did, Mr. Davis; but he managed to get back, an' tumbled to the trick we played on him, so the very first thing he does is to get Jip pulled."

"Well, whether it be boys or men who go wrong, sooner or later they've got to pay the penalty in some fas.h.i.+on, and perhaps it's just as well this Collins chap should square matters now as at any other time."

"But it seems terrible, Mr. Davis, to have him sent to jail for n.o.body knows how many years."

"It'll be a good many if he's convicted on the charge of arson; that I can give you as a straight tip."

"I was in hopes you'd feel kind of bad about it, Mr. Davis," Seth said, hesitatingly.

"Meaning to say you counted on my trying to help pull him through after he destroyed valuable property and come pretty nigh being the death of you and your partner?"

"Well, you see, he's awful sorry----"

"Yes, most of 'em are after the crime has been committed."

"But I don't b'lieve Jip really meant to do anythin' like that. He'd been blowin' 'bout how he'd serve us out, an' a good many of the fellers told him he didn't dare to so much as raise his hand. That kind-er started him, an' if he goes to jail now the shame of it will allers stick to him."

"Then you believe he'd work 'round and be a decently square kind of a boy if he got out of this sc.r.a.pe?"

"I'm almost certain of it."

"Well, look here, Amateur, it ain't for a fireman to go here and there, trying to defend them as have started a blaze; but I wouldn't wonder if we could find some lawyer to take charge of his case. Perhaps we can get him off on the same plea you're using now--that it would serve to make a criminal of him, rather than work the proper kind of reformation.

There'll be plenty of time, lad, because you and your partner are bound to be called on as witnesses even on the preliminary examination, so until the officers find you two nothing can be done, for I don't reckon your imitation detective has any knowledge of what happened."