"Dan Roberts said you carried a lawyer down to see poor Jip, Mr.

Davis," the amateur began, and instantly the look of pleasurable excitement faded from 'Lish Davis's face.

"So I did, Amateur, so I did. Jerry and I allowed we might do that much for the kid, even though he ain't deserving of any man's attention."

"Will he get out of the sc.r.a.pe?"

"Not before having a trial, Amateur, and then all must depend on the judge. It seems he owned up to the whole business when they first nabbed him, and the only thing he can do now is to plead guilty. The evidence that can be given by the kids from Brooklyn will be enough to convict him, even if he finds somebody to help him make a fight, which wouldn't be good sense."

"Then there's nothin' for the poor fellow but to go up the river?" and Seth's voice was tremulous with sorrow.

"That ain't altogether certain, lad. The lawyer thinks, and Jerry and I have the same idee, that if he owns up to the whole thing like a little man, it may be possible to have sentence suspended during good behavior."

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Davis?" Seth asked in perplexity.

"Why, it's jest like this. When he's put on trial let him tell the truth. We of Ninety-four can testify that it was he who sent in the alarm, showing he was sorry as soon as the deed had been done. Then will come the time for the lawyer to get in his fine work. He'll do a lot of chinning 'bout the boy's being young, and that it'll most likely make a criminal of him to be sent up. In some such way as that the judge may be brought to believe that it'll be the wisest course to suspend sentence--that is to say, hold the conviction over him, but at the same time letting him go free. If he behaves himself, well and good; if not, he's brought before the court and sentenced on this same charge at some future time."

"Are you certain that can be done?" Seth asked, growing more hopeful.

"No, Amateur, we ain't certain; but the chances are it can be fixed that way, and we'll do our best at it, if for no other reason than to show how good we're feeling because you're doing us so much credit up at headquarters."

Seth had hoped that the members of Ninety-four's company would be able to effect the firebug's release, and it was a great disappointment to thus learn that nothing could be done save through the clemency of the judge; but, as he would have kept silent had it been himself who was in danger, he refrained from giving words to his sorrow.

Understanding what was in his mind, 'Lish Davis added in a kindly tone:

"Don't take it to heart, Amateur, for we'll do all that is possible, and I'm allowing it'll all come out straight in the end. It wouldn't be well if he pulled through too easy."

"If only he don't have to go to jail for two or three years!" Seth cried, and then fearing he might say that which would sound like a complaint, he took his leave after promising to report next evening.

"Well, I begun to think you was goin' to stop there all night," Master Roberts cried irritably when his partner appeared. "Seemed like you was havin' a mighty good time along at the first of it."

"That was when I was tellin' how I'd been gettin' on up at headquarters.

Say, Jip will have to be tried in court!"

"What? Can't Ninety-four's men stop it?" Dan cried in surprise, for he had believed the firemen could do whatsoever they would, and Seth repeated all that 'Lish Davis had said, adding in conclusion:

"You'd better try to see him again, an' tell the poor fellow how things stand."

"He'll take it mighty hard."

"I'm 'fraid so; but there's nothin' else that can be done. Is Bill over to the room?"

"He allowed he'd have to stop down-town quite a spell to-night, an' I agreed to see him there after I'd met you. Why not take a spin as far as the post-office?"

Seth was not opposed to a stroll through the city, even though wearied by his labors of the day.

His heart was so sore because it would be impossible for him to do anything in Jip's behalf that he had no inclination to spend the time in his lodgings, where he could do nothing save dwell upon the painful situation of the boy who had tried to injure him.

After a short time Dan succeeded in partially banishing his partner's sorrowful thoughts by speaking of his own plans regarding the prospective store on Third Avenue, and broached the subject by paying to Seth his share of the room-rent.

"Did you make all that to-day?" the amateur asked in surprise.

"Yes, an' thirty-two cents more."

"You must have humped yourself."

"That's jest what I did do. You see, if I count on ever ownin' that store I've got to work, same's you did to get into the Department, an' I never lost a minute this mornin'. I'd made a big pile if it hadn't been for goin' to see Jip."

Then Dan pictured to his partner in words the establishment he intended one day to own, giving all the details with such exactness as to prove that he must have spent considerable time reflecting upon the matter.

"That's what I want," he said as he concluded his description of the store; "but when you come to think that I've only got thirty-two cents towards it, there don't seem much chance I'll ever pull through."

"You'll have twice as much to-morrow night, an' every day it'll keep on growin' till in a little while you'll have a pile that'll make your eyes stick out. A feller can do pretty near what he counts on, if he sticks right at it."

"You can bet I'll stick at the store part of it, though I ain't certain as I'd ever believed it could be done if you hadn't got into the Department. When you was runnin' to fires like as if there might be big money in it, I counted it was foolishness; but now the thing looks different."

At this point the conversation was interrupted by Sam Barney, who suddenly appeared from around a corner much as if he had popped out with the purpose of frightening them.

Seth would have pa.s.sed the would-be detective without a word, for after what had been done he felt no desire to so much as speak with him; but now was the hour of Master Barney's triumph, and he did not intend to lose any opportunity of sounding his own praises.

"Well," he cried, stepping directly in front of the boys, "what do you think _now_ 'bout my bein' a detective?"

"If you are one, n.o.body knows it but yourself," Dan replied angrily.

"Didn't I get Jip Collins arrested?"

"Yes, an' anybody might er done the same thing, without startin' in by goin' to Philadelphy. It seems you wasn't much of a detective when you figgered that he was over there."

"If you fellers hadn't been so smart with your railroad ticket I'd never gone, 'cause it didn't take me very long to see how I'd made a mistake in figgerin', after I put my mind right down to it."

"I notice you hung 'round here two days waitin' for us to raise the money. Couldn't you find the mistake before then?"

"I didn't try; but when I started in without bein' mixed up with a crowd of duffers like you, I soon put the thing through."

"Yes, it was big detective work to walk over to Thirty-fourth Street Ferry an' find him."

"I snaked him right out er a house where he was hidin'."

"Then Denny Macey was the one who gave Jip away, an' I'll have a settlement with that chump some day!" Dan cried angrily.

Now for the first time Seth took part in the conversation, by saying curtly to Sam:

"You've got Jip in jail, an' think it's goin' to be a big thing to brag about; but I don't believe you'll make any great shakes out of it. Come on, Dan, we don't want to hang 'round here any longer."

"You're feelin' mighty fine, Seth Bartlett, jest 'cause you're given the chance to loaf 'round the Fire Department headquarters an' sweep the floors!" Sam cried angrily. "I s'pose you think you're pretty nigh the only feller in this town?"

"Come ahead, Dan," and Seth would have pa.s.sed on but that the would-be detective barred his way.

"I don't want any talk with you, Sam Barney, an' what's more I won't have any."