Page 87 - An Amateur Fireman

CHAPTER XII.

THE PRISONER.

It was several moments before Seth could bring himself to believe that Dan and Bill Dean had utterly failed in
their efforts to save Jip Collins from the would-be detective.

During the day he had given the matter comparatively little thought, believing that, having set out on their
mission of mercy at such an early hour, his roommates would succeed in their efforts.

Sam Barney was known to all his acquaintances as a boy opposed to rising very early, or working very hard,
and it had been no more than reasonable to suppose Jip would be warned in time.

Teddy Bowser could give very little information, and that which he did impart only served to heighten the
mystery.

He stated that he met Sam at about seven o'clock that morning, and talked with him concerning his visit to
Philadelphia with the purpose, as previously agreed upon, of delaying him until nearly nine o'clock.

That then the alleged detective had gone toward Fulton Market with the avowed intention of meeting a friend,
and Teddy was positive Jip had not been arrested until late in the afternoon.

"Where was Dan an' Bill when they sent you to tell me?"

"Over by Jefferson Market; that's where Jip's been jugged."

"Were they to wait there for me?"

"That's what they reckoned on, except you thought them firemen of yourn could help out."

"If Jip's really been 'rested I don't believe Ninety-four's men could do anything, 'cordin' to the way Mr. Davis
talks. We'll go right down to the market."

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."