Part 31 (2/2)
”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.”
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