Part 18 (2/2)
”Oh, go 'way, Seth. You've slipped your trolley.”
”No, it's all straight goods, Dan. What kept me up there so long this mornin' was talkin' 'bout it. I'm to go to-night and get the clothes.
The only thing that worries me is I can't pay for them myself.”
”Anybody'd think to hear you talk that was hard luck. Look here, Seth, if what you've been givin' me is straight, you've struck a terrible snap, an' a feller who'd kick 'cause somebody gives him a suit of clothes, ought'er go bare-backed.”
”It would look a good deal better, Dan, if I had the money to buy the things, rather than let them give 'em to me.”
”I ain't so certain 'bout that. The biggest part of it is gettin' 'em, an' if they're willin' to put up I'd say let 'em buy anythin' they wanted. Look here, I can't quite get it through my head that things is the way you tell, 'cause it don't seem likely a boy could get in at headquarters.”
Seth repeated to his partner all that 'Lish Davis had said, and when the story was concluded Master Roberts commented on it in this fas.h.i.+on:
”You'll be out er sight, Seth; that's all there is to it!” Then, realizing how his brother news-venders might be surprised, he added, ”Come on quick, an' let's tell as many fellers as we can before we go to see Bill Dean s.h.i.+p Sam Barney to Philadelphy!”
Seth was by no means averse to making known his good fortune, and very shortly afterward the two were surrounded by a throng of incredulous news-venders and bootblacks, the majority of whom insisted that ”they wouldn't be stuffed with any such yarns, 'cause of course a feller as small as Seth Bartlett couldn't get a job in the Department, even if it was only to sweep floors, wash windows, an' that sort of thing. Besides, if he was taken on at headquarters, n.o.body would give him a show of learnin' the drill.”
Bill Dean called Dan aside, and after first persuading him to cross his throat with his fingers in order that he should be put on oath, as it were, asked regarding the truth of the statements made.
”It's jest as I said, an' he's goin' to have a reg'lar uniform, all but the b.u.t.tons, to-night.”
”Did you hear any of Ninety-four's men say so?”
”I wasn't there, of course; but you know Seth Bartlett don't go 'round shootin' his mouth off the way some of the fellers do, an' you can hang up to everythin' he says; so I'm certain it's true.”
”It must be,” Bill replied in a tone of conviction, and then approaching Seth gravely he extended his hand, saying as the amateur fireman grasped it:
”I'm mighty glad you've struck it so rich, old man, an' that's a fact.
All of us know you've been runnin' to fires pretty reg'lar; but we never b'lieved you'd really get into the Department.”
”I ain't there yet,” Seth replied modestly; ”but Mr. Davis says it'll be my own fault if I don't get in, so you can make up your mind I'll keep my eyes open mighty wide.”
One by one Seth's business acquaintances followed Bill's example in the matter of giving credence to the wonderful story, until it was a generally accepted fact that no more than the truth had been told.
There were some doubters, however; but they were so few in number that it seemed as if there was no longer any question regarding the matter, and during the half-hour which followed Seth was kept busy answering the questions of the curious and, perhaps, envious ones.
The astounding news brought by Seth and Dan had caused Sam Barney's friends and acquaintances to forget for the time being that this promising detective was about to depart from New York; but Bill Dean, who had taken it upon himself to thus aid Jip Collins, soon bethought himself of the business in hand, and reminded the others of their duty by saying:
”Look here, fellers, we mustn't hang 'round here much longer, else there won't be a chance of gettin' Sam away to-day. He's got to go on the emigrant train, an' the railroad folks will look for him jest as I said, 'cause I made a good deal of talk 'bout his bein' a detective. You see I thought they'd be glad to have him go on their cars if we could make 'em b'lieve half as much as Sam tells 'bout himself.”
Thus reminded of their duty the young merchants set out in a body for the Cortlandt Street Ferry, much to the annoyance of those pedestrians against whom they jostled and tumbled in their eagerness to make way through the crowded thoroughfare.
The amateur detective was found at the corner of West Street, where he had promised to await Bill Dean's coming, and one glance at the throng which had gathered to do him honor, as he believed, filled his heart with pride.
”They're beginnin' to find out that I'm no slouch of a detective after all, hey?” he said in a confidential whisper to Bill, and the latter replied in a matter-of-fact tone:
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