Page 88 - An Amateur Fireman

"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-class detective," Dan replied in a tone of irritation.

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