."

"I hope so; but he ain't out of the woods till somebody sets down on Sam
Barney. We've been tryin' to make him stop; but he won't, 'cause he
thinks it'll give him a big name if he arrests Jip. He's up by Sweeney's
Alley bobbin' round like a jumpin'-jack."

"Say!" Dan cried, as a sudden and what seemed like a happy thought came
into his mind. "Sam says Jip is in Philadelphy; now, s'posen all hands
chipped in enough to buy a ticket for him to go there? He'd never get
back, 'cause he don't earn a dollar in a month, an' Jip wouldn't be
bothered."

This plan appealed strongly to both Seth and Dan, and the latter asked
as to the probable cost of such a scheme.

This was a question neither of the boys could answer, and after some
thought Master Dean agreed to make the necessary inquiries without
delay.

"Dan an' me will ante up a nickel apiece to get rid of him, an' in case
you don't have to pay too much, the other fellers who wouldn't want to
see Jip sent to jail ought'er put in the balance."

Master Dean was quite as eager to aid Jip as was Seth, and without
waiting to discuss the matter further started off on his errand of
mercy.

Then the partners were at liberty to set about the work of the day; but
it was now so late that they could not expect to earn very much money.

"We'll come out mighty slim for supper, I'm thinkin'," Dan said grimly.
"You've got to knock off in time to meet 'Lish Davis at three o'clock,
an' the trade in evenin' papers won't be much more'n begun by then."

"You needn't go up with me if you don't want to--I can meet you after
the day's work is over."

"But I do want to go; I wouldn't miss knowin' what the driver has got to
say, not if I went without supper an' breakfast too."

"I could tell you all about it."

"Yes; but I want to hear for myself," Dan replied decidedly, and thus
the matter was concluded.

Seth worked industriously once he was in that section of the city where
certain rights he claimed were respected by his brother artisans, and
although the majority of the fraternity were fully occupied in
discussing the question of what Sam Barney might succeed in doing, he
refused to spend any idle time, however much interest he felt in the
matter.

Dan also attended strictly to business, regardless of the many
temptations to remain idle, and at two o'clock in the afternoon the
partners had earned as much as would suffice to provide them with food
during at least two days; bu