Page 81 - An Amateur Fireman

In fact, Dan had told his roommate several times during the day that he expected to see Seth an enrolled
member of the Department within a few months, adding in support of such belief:

"When that feller tackles anythin' he goes right through with it, an' if he ain't big enough now he's got the
nerve in him to grow terribly. It seems like he does everythin' he starts for."

Now that Seth appeared despondent his comrades believed it their duty to cheer him, and during half an hour
or more they set about such task in earnest.

It seemed to them as if he was already growing more cheerful when the shrill whistling of a peculiar note was
heard several times repeated, apparently on the sidewalk in front of the dwelling.

"That's Teddy Bowser!" Bill Dean exclaimed as he leaped to his feet. "He wanted to come up here to-night,
but I told him he mustn't, 'cause if the fellers hung 'round I'd lose my show for a tony lodgin'."

"Go down and see what he wants," Dan suggested. "I don't believe we'd better let him come in, for there are
three of us here now, an' Miss Hanson might think she was havin' too many fellers 'round for sixty cents a
week."

Bill descended the stairs swiftly but noiselessly, returning in less than five minutes with a look of
consternation upon his face.

"Say, Sam Barney's got back!"

"Got back!" Seth cried in astonishment and dismay. "Why, how'd he raise the money?"

"That's what Teddy didn't know. He said Sam flashed up 'bout an hour ago lookin' as chipper as you please,
an' with cash in his pocket. He's tumbled to our racket, an' is promenadin' 'round town sayin' he'll catch Jip
Collins before to-morrow night."

The three boys gazed at each other in perplexity, and fully a moment elapsed before the almost painful silence
was broken.

Then Seth said interrogatively:

"Of course Teddy knew what he was talkin' 'bout?"

"Oh yes, he hasn't made any mistake, 'cause he saw Sam and heard him blow 'bout what a swell time he had in
Philadelphy."

"He couldn't have been there very long."

"I don't understand it," and Bill plunged his hands deep in his pocket as he looked gloomily around. "I thought
when we shipped him off that we'd settled the detective business, an' now it ain't any dead certain thing he
won't run right across Jip Collins, 'cause the poor feller thinks Sam's so far away there's no danger of meetin'
him."

"Where's Teddy?" Dan asked.

"Down on the sidewalk."

"What's he waitin' for?"