he duffer over there for seventy-five cents, by sendin' him
with the emigrants. I gave him a big stiff this afternoon 'bout how we
fellers would give him a chance to show how much of a detective he is,
an' he puffed 'way up, allowin' there wasn't many men on the force in
this town who could beat him. He believes it's a great snap to go off
huntin' after Jip, an' hasn't got head enough to think of how he'll get
back."

"Here's my nickel," and Seth produced the money, Dan following his
partner's example. "I'll be glad if we can get rid of Sam; but I'm
'fraid that won't settle things for Jip."

Then he repeated all 'Lish Davis had said regarding the matter, and when
he concluded Master Dean was looking remarkably serious.

"If the firemen are goin' to run Jip down, there ain't much show we can
keep him out er trouble. Don't you s'pose the driver would kind-er help
somehow?"

"From what he said this afternoon it didn't seem as if he would, but
perhaps he'll change his mind after a while," Dan replied, not minded to
cloud this first merry-making in the new home by disagreeable thoughts,
and attempted to change the subject of the conversation by speculating
as to what sort of a welcome Sam Barney was most likely to receive from
the Philadelphia boys.

"They'll think he's a mighty good feller till he lets out strong on what
he can do in the detective business, an' then they'll tumble to him,"
Bill Dean replied with the air of one who has closed an argument
finally. "So long as he leaves town we needn't bother our heads about
him; it's Jip I'm thinkin' of, an' it seems to me as if we ought'er see
him mighty soon."

"Why?" Dan asked in surprise.

"Because he must know what 'Lish Davis says, else he's likely to knock
'round Ninety-four's house 'most any time."

"Why don't you hunt him up?"

"It's too late to tackle the job to-night; but what's to stop all three
of us from goin' to the Erie Basin after Sam Barney leaves town? Of
course you're countin' on seein' him off?"

"I ought'er 'tend right out on business," Seth replied thoughtfully;
"but perhaps I can waste time enough for that."

"Course you can. If you don't get through with the shinin' at the
engine-house as early as usual, I'll hold him over till the next train.
Then we can skip up to the Basin, an' be back in time to start in with
the last editions of the evenin' papers."

After some reflection and many misgivings as to whether he was
warranted in devot