f 'Lish's good intentions, and went
away with a heavy heart, yet having no idea of abandoning his efforts to
"learn the business."

He did not cease to spend his spare moments about Ninety-four's house,
and after 'Lish Davis had many times threatened the direst punishment if
he persisted in such a course, but without effect, the members of the
company came to look upon Seth as a boy of pluck, who would one day
force his way into the Department.

However, no one of Ninety-four's men had given him an opportunity for
doing other than blacking boots, and the boy was entirely ignorant of
their friendliness toward him.

Such was the general position of affairs on the night when Dan Roberts
believed it his duty to mildly reprove Seth for spending so much time in
what seemed to be idleness when he should be looking for customers.

After the master of the shed-home had announced so positively that he
would be a fireman in due course of time, Dan, remembering how Jip
Collins had lost his footing in the household, decided he had done his
whole duty in the matter, and straight-way changed the subject of
conversation by saying:

"Sam Barney had mighty bad luck to-day. First off, somebody passed a
lead dime on him, an' then he lost as many as fifteen cents at one
slap."

"How?" Seth asked with no slight show of interest.

"That's what he can't make out. He had the money in the same pocket
where he always carries it, when all of a sudden it was gone."

"Somebody touched him."

"Must be, an' Sam thinks he's got an idea who it is."

"Can't be any of the reg'lar gang, 'cause I don't know a feller what
would do a trick like that."

"Sam's keepin' mighty close about it, an' I wouldn't wonder if he found
the whole business out before long. He comes near to bein' a reg'lar
detective, you know."

"Who? Sam?"

"Sure."

"But what does he know about the detective business?"

"Perhaps he's learnin' it same's you are the fireman's racket."

This reduced Seth to silence, and Dan, fearing that he might have given
offence, hastened to say in a most friendly tone:

"Of course if a feller studies over anything of that kind he'll soon
come somewhere near knowin' a little about it, an' Sam is posted in more
ways than one."

"Then how does it happen he let anybody go through him?"

"That's the funny part of it, an' the folks what did it must have been
mighty slick, 'cause, you see----"

Dan was interrupted by the sound of footst