CHAPTER XIV.
THE SUBPOENA
Impatient though Seth was to talk with 'Lish Davis and his roommates concerning what had been done by Sam Barney in the matter of borrowing money on the account of others, he made no attempt to leave headquarters a single moment earlier than usual.
When the hours of labor had come to an end, however, he did not linger, and with a cheery "good-night" to Mr. Fernald, for by this time the teacher and his pupil were on excellent terms, he set off at full speed for Ninety-four's house.
Unless they were out on duty, this particular company, since Seth went to work at headquarters, could always be found on the lower floor of the building at about six o'clock in the evening awaiting the arrival of "their kid," and here Master Bartlett found them.
From the expression on his face all hands understood that something unpleasant had occurred, and 'Lish Davis asked in a tone of anxiety:
"What's gone wrong, Amateur? Haven't been getting into trouble with Josh, I hope?"
"Mr. Fernald is mighty kind to me; he says I shall go in the yard next week for half an hour each day, an' then you know I'll have a great chance to pick up points."
"Once he starts you in there the road is pretty straight up to a job in the Department. You look so kind-er peaked I was afraid something had gone wrong."
"Read that, an' then I reckon you'll think somethin' has gone wrong!" Seth exclaimed as he gave the driver Joe Carter's letter, unfolding the sheet that there might be no needless time spent in mastering its contents.
"Read it aloud, 'Lish," Jerry Walters cried, and the driver glanced toward Seth as if asking permission to do so.
"Go ahead, Mr. Davis. Of course everybody belongin' to this company has a right to know all about my business."
Davis did as he was requested, reading slowly as if enjoying the matter hugely, and interrupted now and then by exclamations of surprise or amusement from his comrades.
"Well, what do you think of it?" Seth asked angrily when the driver, having come to the end, remained silent.
"It begins to look as if your friend the detective could manage to take care of himself by hook or by crook. I can't see that either you or Bill Dean is bound by any such a transaction, unless you gave Sam permission to borrow money on your account."
"Of course we wasn't such fools as to do that! It's a reg'lar swindle, that's what it is, an' if I'd known 'bout it when Dan and me met him down-town, I'm 'fraid I'd punched his head, even if it would be fightin' on the street!"
"What's that?" Mr. Davis asked sharply. "Something been going on that we haven't heard?"
"I counted on tellin' you; but it seems as if there's always a bother to talk 'bout, so I waited a spell."
Then Seth gave a detailed account of the encounter with the would-be detective, and when he had concluded the recital 'Lish Davis looked around at his companions as if waiting to hear their comments before he expressed an opinion.
"You ought'er lit right out on him," Jerry Walters cried warmly. "He thinks you won't fight, an' will keep on makin' trouble for you till he learns that it ain't safe."
"Don't listen to such advice, Seth," the captain added quickly. "You did perfectly right, and are to be praised for it, more particularly since the temptation must have been very great."
Then the men began what finally grew into a heated discussion, as to how the boy should have acted under such provoking circumstances, and not until it was brought to a close did 'Lish Davis give his opinion.
"I'm allowing that you can't afford to raise a brawl, Amateur," he said, deliberately. "If that imitation detective 'mounted to anything the case might be different, and though I'm free to say that every man or boy should defend himself when it's necessary, there's no wisdom in raising a disturbance while it's possible to walk on. The trouble is that too many of us are apt to think we can't get away from what appears to be a bad scrape without coming to blows; but in nine cases out of ten that isn't the truth."
"But what am I to do 'bout this money he borrowed from Joe Carter?" Seth asked as the driver ceased speaking.
"I can't see that you've got any call to disturb yourself. Write and tell the boy in Philadelphia that the imitation detective had no authority to borrow money in your name, and let that settle it."
This did not appear to Seth the proper course, for he felt that he was in a certain sense bound to prevent Joe Carter from losing anything by being thus confiding; but yet he would not have questioned the driver's decision.
"It's mighty aggravating, Amateur, I'm free to confess," 'Lish Davis added as he noted the expression on the boy's face; "but you must remember that the poorest way to settle a difficulty is by fighting. When you're where it's got to be done in order to save yourself from being hurt or robbed, then put up your hands like a man, first making certain there's no other way out. If it's all the same to you, I'm counting on toddling down to Tenth Street to-night."
"Do you mean that I'm goin' to school now?"
"I reckon the time has come when you may as well begin. Jerry Walters and me have made the trade, so after you've slicked up a bit, drop in here and we'll start."
"All right, sir," Seth cried as he hurried away to make ready for what he knew must be a trying ordeal. He understood that he was remarkably ignorant for one of his years, and had an idea that every pupil in the school would make sport of him.
When the amateur fireman arrived at his lodgings he found his roommates awaiting him, and in the fewest possible words made known Sam Barney's misdemeanor, producing Joe Carter's letter in proof of his assertion.
It can well be imagined that both the boys were angry and surprised by the information, and Bill insisted that all three set out at once in search of the offender.
"I've got to start in on school to-night, an' so I can't go," Seth replied mournfully.
"How long are you goin' to keep up sich a racket as that?" Dan asked, as if personally aggrieved because such a course was to be pursued.
"'Cordin' to the way Mr. Davis talks I'll have to stick at it till I'm a reg'lar fireman, an' perhaps a good bit after that."
"Then I'd give up tryin' to get into the Department!" Master Roberts replied emphatically. "I wouldn't do all that funny business if I never 'mounted to anythin' more'n a bootblack!"
"It's jest what you ought'er do, Dan, if you ever expect to own that Third Avenoo store."
"I'd like to know why?"
"Now, that's a foolish question. S'posen you got the shop this very minute, an' wanted to write a letter, or figger up how much anythin' cost? What kind of a fist would you make of it?"
Dan did not reply, but changed the subject of conversation by asking Bill:
"What er you goin' to do 'bout Sam Barney?"
"You an' me will hunt him up, an' by the time we're through with the chump he won't borrow money in sich a way ag'in, I reckon. Who'll write to Joe Carter 'bout it?"
"If Seth is goin' to school he ought'er do that much, 'cause it'll come right in his line of business."
"I'll do the best I can at it," the amateur fireman replied readily, and added as his friends turned to leave the room. "Now, don't have a reg'lar row with that chump. It'll be enough if you show him up to all the fellers as a reg'lar fraud, and then you won't stand any chance of gettin' into trouble with the perlice."
"We'll 'tend to the business in proper shape," Bill replied in a meaning tone, and Seth was not sadly disturbed in mind as he understood, or thought he did, that Sam Barney would spend a very unpleasant evening if these two acquaintances chanced to meet him.
When he was alone Seth set about making preparations for beginning his pursuit of knowledge, and the prospect before him was by no means pleasant.
'Lish Davis was awaiting his arrival when he reentered the engine-house, and immediately began laughing heartily at the expression on the boy's face.
"It ain't going to be half as bad as you're counting on, Amateur," the driver cried as soon as he could control his mirth, and then the two set out.
Mr. Davis had but one remark of importance to make during the journey, and that impressed Seth more than anything which had been said to him that day.
"If I'd spent half or even a quarter of my spare time while I was a boy, in study, instead of being only the driver of Ninety-four, I might be her captain at the very least. You may have got it into your head that firemen don't know anything except how to use an axe or handle hose; but it's a big mistake. If you want to keep on rising in the Department, you've got to have more book-learning than I was willing to get."
When they arrived at the school, 'Lish did not spend very much time in introducing his protégé.
"Here's the kid I was telling you about," he said, and then Seth was left to fight his own battle.
That going to school was not as hard as he had fancied was known at the engine-house when the amateur returned shortly after nine o'clock, for then he said with an air of relief:
"I ain't so certain but that I'll like it, after I kind-er get the hang of things."
"Course you will, Amateur, course you will; but it's bound to be hard work, and there don't seem to be much chance for play in your life the way we've mapped it out for you. All hands of us have been figgering how we'd kind-er let up on you, and it's been decided that you shall sleep here every Saturday night. What calls come in 'twixt the ending of the school business and midnight, you're to answer as if belonging reg'larly to the company."
Seth's eyes glistened with delight, and when he had gone to his room the driver said in a tone of satisfaction to his comrades:
"That kid is bound to make his mark in the Department some day, and we'll be patting ourselves on the head for having given him a show. Just think of a boy like him being tickled way up in G when you give him a chance to work at a fire! He was reg'larly born for the business."
When Seth arrived at Mrs. Hanson's he found his roommates awaiting his arrival.
"Didn't you find Sam?" he asked in surprise that they should have returned so soon.
"That's what we did; met him down by the post-office where there was a whole crowd of the fellers, an' by this time I reckon he don't think he's a terrible big man."
"What did he say 'bout givin' Joe Carter sich a yarn?"
"First off he tried to say it wasn't so; but when we flashed up the letter, it was all over, an' the chump couldn't so much as yip, 'cept to promise to pay the bill with the very first money he could scrape together."
"Then you didn't have any row?"
"Not a bit of it."
"I was 'fraid you might thump him, an' the perlice would jump in."
"We didn't reckon on bein' jugged jest 'cause of him," Bill replied, quietly. "Instead of fightin', Dan jest shoved him inside the post-office quick-like an' I let him have a couple of mighty good clips alongside the head. When he yelled, we lit out an' come up here. If it hadn't been that you're tryin' so hard to get into the Department, we might er had a row with the duffer; but seein's anythin' of the kind would give you a black eye, we kept quiet."
Dan and Master Dean both appeared to think they deserved praise for having been so cautious, and Seth did not believe it would be wise to reproach them for what had been done.
After this affair there was nothing out of the ordinary in Seth's life for ten days or more, except during the two Saturday nights he slept at Ninety-four's house, where on each occasion it was his good fortune to go out with the engine.
At headquarters Mr. Fernald pushed him along in the drill as rapidly as possible, and he was allowed to devote considerably more than two hours each day to the lessons.
At school he made as much advancement as could have been expected, and really came to look forward with pleasure upon his tasks there, for 'Lish Davis's remark as to the value of an education had not been forgotten.
Then came the day when he was summoned from the yard where he had been taking part in a drill with ladders, to meet a stranger who handed him a printed document, the meaning of which he failed to understand until Mr. Fernald explained that it was a subpœna, or, in other words, a command for him to appear in court on the following morning to give evidence in the case of the State vs. Jipson Collins.
The officer who brought the summons stated that he had served a similar document upon Dan Roberts a few hours previous, and cautioned Seth against failing to obey.
"I reckon they'll have to get along without me, 'cause I can't leave here," he replied, as if believing such an excuse must be accepted by any fair-minded judge.
Then it was Mr. Fernald explained the nature of a subpœna, and Seth was decidedly surprised at learning that he could, and probably would, be arrested if he refused to obey.
"There is no need of your coming here at all to-morrow," the old man said, "no matter how early you may get out of court. You're needing a holiday, lad, and I'm glad of an excuse for giving you one."
Not until he returned from school that evening did Seth see his roommates, and then he found them in a high state of excitement because of the approaching trial.
"Mr. Davis says he shall be there, an' the lawyer is to 'tend right out so's to say a good word for poor Jip when the time comes," Seth hastened to state, and from that moment until it seemed absolutely necessary they should retire, the boys discussed the probable fate of the firebug.
Next morning when Seth went to the engine-house to perform his customary task of blacking the men's boots, Dan set out with him, saying as they left Mrs. Hanson's:
"If it wasn't for that Third Avenoo store I wouldn't go down-town to-day, till it was time for the trial to begin; but I can't lose a whole mornin's work."
"That's the way to stick at it!" Seth cried approvingly. "How much money have you got laid up?"
"Three dollars an' five cents. Oh, I'm gettin' there, old man, though 'cordin' to the way things are workin' it'll take quite a spell."
"You'll strike a rush some day, an' then it'll pile up in great shape. Stick at it, Dan."
"That's what I'm reckonin' on doin', an' say, Seth, if it don't cost too much, I'm goin' to 'tend out on school, same's you do. Bill has 'greed to come into the snap, an' we'll make it lively all 'round."
"It won't cost you a cent; Mr. Davis says so."
"Then we'll begin to-night, but I don't want the fellers to know about it, 'cause they'd set up sich a terrible howl."
Dan did not waste any more time in conversation, but hurried away to take advantage of the early demand for papers, and 'Lish Davis said sagely when Seth had repeated the conversation to him:
"Now you can see the result of a good example, Amateur. If you had kicked against going to school, your roommates never'd thought of trying the same game, and so by helping yourself you've gone a long way towards helping others. Contrariwise, if you'd been cutting 'round town, raising rows and getting into all kinds of trouble, you'd find them as would follow in your track, so it's a pretty sure thing that a boy is bound to walk straight because of the effect it'll have on others, even if for no other reason."
Seth made no reply to this brief lecture; he was learning very much of life through his intercourse with Ninety-four's men, and it seemed to him as if each day some new idea regarding a boy's work was to be gained.
"Your firebug has his chance this forenoon, eh?" 'Lish asked after a short pause.
"Yes, sir, an' I'm hopin' mighty hard that he'll get off this time."
"I reckon a good deal depends on you and your partner."
"How do you mean?"
"If the firebug pleads guilty as his lawyer has advised him to, the judge will only call on you two witnesses to tell how it happened, so's he can get an idea of about how hard Jip ought'er be punished."
"Then if we talk smooth he stands a better chance, eh?"
"That's 'bout the size of it, Amateur."
During the remainder of the time he spent in Ninety-four's quarters Seth was unusually thoughtful, and immediately his work was finished he asked the driver if there was any objection to his going down-town.
"Now see here, Amateur, there's no call for you to come 'round me with a question like that. I'm only too glad you've got a chance to get a holiday, and I advise you to spend all the time, till the hour for school, among your old chums. I don't reckon you've got any big pile of money left by this time, eh?"
"Well, I don't need a cent, 'cept for my rent, an' that ain't costin' such a terrible pile."
"Have you got enough to buy your breakfast with?"
"I'll get whatever I need."
"See here, Amateur, how much money have you on hand?" 'Lish asked so sternly that Seth could no longer evade the question.
"Well, I'm broke; but there's no need of my havin' a single cent. I ain't doin' much swellin' lately."
"Take this," and the driver thrust a dollar in Seth's hands. "I ain't giving it to you, so there's no call to kick. You've got to borrow it, or go hungry, and that I'm not minded you shall do."
"I haven't done anything of the kind yet a while," the Amateur replied, with a hearty laugh, and then he began to speak of Jip once more lest 'Lish Davis might take it into his head to ask how long he had thus been penniless, for it was nearly a week since he had so much as a nickel in his pocket.
"I'll pay back the dollar as soon as I get my month's wages," he said, as, his work finished, he made ready to go down-town, and the driver replied cheerily:
"I'm counting on it, Amateur, and I'm also reckoning that you'll come to me again when that's gone, else you and me will have a settling that won't be pleasant to one of us."
Then Seth started down-town with a smile on his face, as he repeated again and again to himself:
"Folks are mighty good to me, mighty good!"
When he arrived in that locality where he formerly transacted business, his old friends welcomed him heartily, and every one who claimed the slightest acquaintance had a great many questions to ask concerning his position at headquarters.
Not until nearly the hour set for the witnesses to be at court did Seth find an opportunity of speaking privately with his partner, and then he repeated what 'Lish Davis had said as to the possible effect their evidence might have in the case.
"We must be careful to tell the truth, Dan; but there's no need of our rubbin' it in very bad."
"That'll be all right," Master Roberts replied confidently. "Jest wait till the judge begins to pump me, an' you'll see how slick I'll make it for Jip."
"Don't put it on too thick."
"See here, Seth, I reckon I know how to run this thing. Don't you worry 'bout me; but be kind-er thinkin' up what you'll say."
"I don't s'pose we'll have a chance for anything 'cept to answer questions."
"I'll bet I can sneak in a good word now an' then, never mind how hard they try to stop me. Say, have you seen Sam Barney?"
"No; is he goin' to the court?"
"'Cordin' to the way he's been swellin' hisself out this mornin' you'd think he was countin' on runnin' the whole thing. He told some of the fellers that the trial wouldn't begin if he wasn't there, 'cause he's the only one who can send Jip up the river. Bill wanted me to go in with him for usin' the chump so rough he couldn't more'n crawl, an' that would fix things for Jip; but I was 'fraid it might make talk in the court so's you'd get the worst of it."
"It's better to let him alone, though I'm awful sorry he's so set on this detective business, 'cause if it hadn't been for that, Jip never'd been 'rested."
At this moment Bill Dean joined his friends with the information that the would-be detective had already started for the court-room, and proposed that they set out at once.
"I'm goin' to get a seat close to that duffer, an' let him know he'll get his face into trouble if he tells any more'n is called for. I wonder why he couldn't be yanked up for lyin' to Joe Carter when he borrowed that money? If he should have a dose of it in jail, I reckon he wouldn't be so hot to see Jip sent up."
Dan was uncertain whether a charge might not have been brought against the would-be detective because of what he had done in Philadelphia, but dismissed the matter without very much study, on the ground that it was now too late to render such a course of advantage to the firebug.
Then the three, followed or accompanied by nearly all their acquaintances, went toward the court-room.