Page 82 - An Amateur Fireman

"I told him he'd better hold on a spell, 'cause we've got to do somethin', fellers, an' perhaps he can help us."

"But if Sam's here with money in his pocket, how shall we stop him from workin' up the case?" Dan asked
helplessly.

"First off we must tell Jip," Seth replied promptly. "To-morrow mornin' you an' Bill will have to see what can
be done with Sam. It won't do to let him keep on the way he was goin' before we sent him off."

"I reckon you can't stop him if he's set on doin' it, an' he likely will be now he finds you're in the Department,
'cause he said he was goin' to be an out-an'-out detective long before you ever dreamed of gettin' a fireman's
job."

"If he only knew how little of a fireman I am he wouldn't feel very bad 'bout it," Seth said with a sigh, and
then added more cheerily, "Come on, fellers, we must find Jip, an' not stay out too late either, else Miss
Hanson will raise a row."

The three went down the stairs softly, crept out on the sidewalk as if their own lives might be in jeopardy if
the slightest noise was made, and there met Teddy Bowser.

"Oh yes, I saw him," Teddy said in reply to Seth's question. "He's been swingin' himself 'round Grand Street
big as life for more'n an hour; says he had a great time in Philadelphy, an' ain't certain but he'll go over there
to live after he gets Jip in jail. Sam must have struck some mighty soft snap, 'cause when he left this town he
had only sixteen cents to his name."

"Do you s'pose he could find any one chump enough to lend him money?" Dan asked musingly, and Seth said
almost sharply:

"It won't pay for us to stand here tryin' to figger how he's fixed things, 'cause we must be back mighty soon,
and it may take quite a spell to find Jip."

"I reckon it will," Teddy added emphatically. "I hunted all 'round the ferry for him."

"Why, how did you know where he was?"

"The fellers told me. I didn't think it was a secret."

"It ought to have been," and Seth looked more distressed than before. "If all hands know, it won't take Sam
Barney a great while to find out."

"He was talkin' 'bout it when I left; said there was no need of goin' to the ferry till mornin', 'cause he could put
his hands on him when he wanted to. Some of Jip's chums must have gone back on him, an' I wouldn't wonder
if I knew who. You see, Denny Macey was tellin' 'round that if Jip didn't ante up the dime he borrowed two
weeks ago, he'd make trouble for him."

"Don't let's stand here any longer," and Seth led the way at a rapid pace toward the ferry.

Beyond speculating as to how the would-be detective had been enabled to return from Philadelphia, those who
were seeking to do Jip Collins an additional favor indulged in little conversation during the hurried journey
across the city.

As they neared the ferry each kept a sharp watch in the hope of meeting the boy whom he sought, but when
they stood at the very entrance of the slip no sign of Jip had been seen, and then the difficulty of the search