"An' if he did after tellin' everybody about it, he'd go up the river
ten or fifteen years, sure--I ain't certain but that it would be a life
sentence."

"Yes, I know all that, Dan, but Jip ain't the kind of a feller to figger
on sich things, an' if he gets a notion right solid in his head, there's
no knowin' how big a fool he might make of himself, so let's go out an'
have a look 'round."

It was with an ill grace that Dan followed Seth, and even then his share
in the search was of but little service owing to the fact that he
hurried from one part of the yard to the other without making an effort
to ascertain if any one was secreted in the many convenient
hiding-places near at hand.

After ten minutes or more had been spent by the two boys, Seth
performing his work faithfully and Dan shirking, the partners retired,
and it was as if they had but just stretched themselves at full length
on the bed of shavings when both were asleep.

If Dan had been acting the part of sentinel just inside the shed door an
hour after the two retired, he would have seen in the gloom three dark
forms emerge from behind a pile of boards which he had failed to look
over carefully, and advance cautiously toward the shed door, halting
when they were twenty feet or more away.

Had he been there he would have recognized one of these as Jip Collins,
and most probably suspected that the other two were the boys from
Brooklyn spoken of by the amateur detective.

He would also have heard the conversation which followed; but he did not
because he was asleep, and the lad who was willing to commit a crime in
order to compass his revenge found no impediment in the way.

"They're snorin' by this time, that's certain," Jip said to his
comrades, "an' even if they wasn't we might talk here for an hour
without their hearin', 'cause Seth's room is in the farther end of the
shed, and there's a whole pile of lumber between him an' the door. He
don't believe in going out much after he's got inside the yard, for fear
the carpenter will see him, so we can make up our minds that there's
nothin' to stop us."

"Where do you count on starting the fire?"

"Right close by the shed door, of course. I know where to get a lot of
shavings."

"But it won't do to set it so near, because the fellers might be burned
to death, an' that would be a pretty piece of business, Jip Collins."

"Gettin' scared, eh?"

"You don't want to talk to me 'bout gettin' scared, a