"That's what I've 'greed to, an' I'm in dead earnest, Seth. Of course you can't afford to pay a reg'lar detective a whole lot of money jest to find Jip for you; but I can do the work as well, an' you needn't put out a cent more'n I'm called on to spend for expenses."
"What do you want of Jip?" Seth asked in surprise.
"To have him 'rested for settin' fire to your shed, of course."
"I don't want anythin' of the kind. I reckon he's sorry enough for what he did without my tryin' to make more trouble for him."
"Do you mean to say you're willin' he should burn the shed an' come pretty nigh killin' you?"
"Course I ain't willin'; but now it's been done there's no need for me to try to put him in jail, 'cause it won't do any good, an' I'd feel bad to think any feller I knew was up to Sing Sing doin' time."
It was evident that but few of the sidewalk merchants agreed with Seth in the view he took of the matter.
The majority of them believed Jip should be pursued until captured, and then punished to the full extent of the law.
Some were inclined to the opinion that Sam Barney might possibly succeed in running down the culprit, but these credulous ones were the most intimate friends of the amateur detective, and by far the larger number of the throng thought a formal complaint should be lodged with the officers of the law against the boy who had so nearly caused the death of Seth and Dan.
Sam Barney was literally astounded at the forgiving spirit which the would-be fireman displayed, and this first burst of astonishment soon gave way to something like anger.