Part 29 (1/2)
”He's heard the rest of the fellers talk 'bout it.”
”That don't cut any figger; all he can testify to is what he's seen himself, or something the prisoner may have told him. I'll turn this thing over in my mind, and call on Jerry Walters and Ben Dunton for their advice. When you come 'round to-morrow night we'll be able to say what can be done. Now tell me everything you did to-day; that's of more interest to us of Ninety-four's company than the arrest of the firebug.”
Seth gave a detailed account of his movements from the time he entered headquarters until the hour of leaving, and every man on the floor listened eagerly to the narration of unimportant doings, which was the best proof they could have given of the deep interest felt in the amateur fireman.
”I reckon you'll pull through all right,” 'Lish Davis said approvingly when Seth brought the story to an end, ”and now there's a word to be said about your behavior here this morning. You'll have plenty of work to do 'twixt 7 A.M. and 6 P.M. without hustling over here before daylight and blacking our boots; consequently we're going to hire another boy so's to remove the temptation from your path.”
”Don't do it, please don't do it, Mr. Davis,” Seth cried imploringly.
”It don't seem like work to me. So long as I can be here every mornin'
an' do somethin' of the kind, it 'pears as if I belong to the company.
S'posen you get another feller to do the s.h.i.+nin' an' I come 'round evenin's to tell you what's been goin' on? Why, it would only look as if I was a visitor. I don't want to give up all my hold here, an' that's what will happen if somebody else does the s.h.i.+nin'.”
There could be no question but that Seth was deeply in earnest, and more than one of the men nodded to the driver as if to say that the boy should be allowed to do as he pleased.
Jerry Walters took it upon himself to say very decidedly:
”I think, 'Lish, Amateur is right, an' you've got no call to cut him off from what he wants to do, 'specially after it's been once agreed upon.
It ain't that I'm figgering to have my boots s.h.i.+ned for nothing; but I'm feeling a good deal as he does. I'd like to have him come 'round regularly, an' we'll be certain of it if there's work to be done.”
”Very well, very well,” the driver replied. ”He shall keep on for a spell, though it ain't to my liking. If Amateur was a kid that spent his time kiting 'round the streets it would be different; but he's got to have some little amus.e.m.e.nt, and how is it to be had if he starts in at daylight blacking boots, works until six o'clock at headquarters, then spends his evening at the school? Why, it'll come nigh to using him up.”
”He ain't on at headquarters Sunday, is he?”
”No; but that's only one day in seven, and so long as Amateur is in our charge, so to speak, I ain't going to have him get an idea that he can spend the Sabbath cavorting 'round as some of his chums do.”
”When I begin to take part in the drill at headquarters I shall have all the sport that's needed,” Seth interrupted, ”and besides, even if I go to the night-school, I'll get an hour in here between six an' seven----”
”And a heap of fun you'll have with a lot of old cronies like us,” 'Lish added with a laugh.
”I'd rather be here than anywhere else, sir, an' if you want to give me a good time now and then, an' I happen to be 'round when there's an alarm, let me go out with Ninety-four; that'll be fun enough.”
'Lish winked at his comrades as if this remark pleased him exceedingly, and put an end to the conversation by saying:
”Look in here to-morrow night, lad, and we'll see whether it's possible to help out your firebug or not. Now go home and turn in, for you can't get too much sleep while you're young.”
Seth obeyed without delay what was little less than a command, and, hastening to Mrs. Hanson's dwelling, repeated to his roommates and Teddy Bowser all the driver had said to him concerning the possibilities of aiding Jip Collins.
The boys were sadly disappointed because there was no actual promise of a.s.sistance.
They had come to believe, because they hoped it would be so, that Mr.
Davis could immediately devise some plan whereby Jip might be released from prison, and since he did not appear to be sympathetic and enthusiastic on the subject they feared he might fail to take any active part.
”I am certain he will get a lawyer for him anyhow,” Seth said in reply to their complaint, ”an' that's what we couldn't do ourselves. If it wasn't for goin' to headquarters I'd try to see the poor fellow to-morrow. Of course I wouldn't be able to do anythin' for him, but it would make him feel kind of good to know we was willin' to help.”
”I'll go there to-morrow,” Dan cried, pleased at the idea of doing something, even though he could not hope to effect any change in Jip's condition. ”I'll tell him what we've tried to do, an' there'll be some satisfaction in that anyhow.”
Then Seth proposed that Master Roberts should hang around outside the Department headquarters at about six o'clock in the afternoon in order to report the result of the interview, after which he would visit Mr.
Davis again.