Page 27 - An Amateur Fireman

CHAPTER IV.

SAM THE DETECTIVE.

The sidewalk merchants in the vicinity of the post-office were well informed of Seth Bartlett's loss by the time
he arrived in that section of the city.

Those who had not heard the story from Dan Roberts read an account of the destruction of Baxter Brothers'
carpenter-shop in the morning papers during the early part of the day before the business rush began, and thus
it was Seth found himself the centre of a sympathizing crowd of acquaintances as soon as he crossed City Hall
Park.

Master Barney had but just returned from a journey supposed to have been taken in search of the boy who had
robbed him, and he immediately cast aside his own business troubles in order to "work the case against Jip
Collins," as he expressed it.

Sam was among the throng gathered to meet the homeless bootblack, and when others would have asked for
further particulars regarding the conflagration, even though Dan had given all the information in his
possession, the amateur detective checked the curious ones by saying sharply:

"This ain't any time to talk foolishness, 'cause if I'm goin' to take up this case I must get right down to it before
Jip has a chance to run very far."

"What do you mean by takin' up the case?" Seth asked in surprise, and Dan Roberts replied quickly:

"Sam says he's willin' to go after Jip Collins, an' will stick at it till he catches him."

"That's what I've 'greed to, an' I'm in dead earnest, Seth. Of course you can't afford to pay a reg'lar detective a
whole lot of money jest to find Jip for you; but I can do the work as well, an' you needn't put out a cent more'n
I'm called on to spend for expenses."

"What do you want of Jip?" Seth asked in surprise.

"To have him 'rested for settin' fire to your shed, of course."

"I don't want anythin' of the kind. I reckon he's sorry enough for what he did without my tryin' to make more
trouble for him."

"Do you mean to say you're willin' he should burn the shed an' come pretty nigh killin' you?"

"Course I ain't willin'; but now it's been done there's no need for me to try to put him in jail, 'cause it won't do
any good, an' I'd feel bad to think any feller I knew was up to Sing Sing doin' time."

It was evident that but few of the sidewalk merchants agreed with Seth in the view he took of the matter.

The majority of them believed Jip should be pursued until captured, and then punished to the full extent of the
law.

Some were inclined to the opinion that Sam Barney might possibly succeed in running down the culprit, but
these credulous ones were the most intimate friends of the amateur detective, and by far the larger number of
the throng thought a formal complaint should be lodged with the officers of the law against the boy who had
so nearly caused the death of Seth and Dan.