as that Seth had an opportunity of telling how penitent the
firebug had appeared to be; how eager he was to do all in his power
toward repairing the wrong, and declared he did not believe the prisoner
would "go crooked again."

'Lish Davis next went on the stand, and although he could not swear to
Jip's repentance, he testified that the prisoner himself had sent in the
alarm, and succeeded in saying many a good word for the boy.

"That driver is a dandy!" Dan whispered approvingly. "I wish the lawyer
was half as good."

Master Roberts was better satisfied with the attorney a short time
later, when he made a plea that sentence be suspended on the prisoner,
who had promptly confessed his guilt, and even at the moment when the
crime had been committed did all in his power to repair the mischief.

Then two or three others had something to say; but they appeared to be
talking privately with the judge, rather than conducting the case, and
to the great surprise of all the small spectators Sam Barney was not
called to the witness-stand.

The fact that he had compassed the arrest of the prisoner was not even
mentioned, much to the delight of Dan and Bill Dean, each of whom leaned
forward from time to time to ask in a cautious whisper as to when the
"big detective work was goin' to be showed up?"

After a time it seemed to those in the front seats as if the prisoner
had been forgotten by the court, for nothing was said to or about him,
and Bill was on the point of asking Seth if the trial was concluded,
when the judge ordered Jip to stand up.

Then he lectured him severely on the crime of arson, explained how many
years of his life would be spent in prison if the provisions of the law
were carried out to their fullest extent, and finally announced that
sentence would be suspended during good behavior.

At this point 'Lish Davis left the court-room as if he no longer had any
interest in the proceedings, and after a certain time the attorney led
Jip out of the building, the latter's acquaintances following in a
body.

"Is it all over?" Dan cried, seizing the attorney by the arm in order to
hold his attention, and before the gentleman could speak, Sam Barney
cried vindictively:

"You can bet it ain't all over! I've been buncoed by a lot of cheap
firemen, an' don't count on holdin' my tongue. You'll see Jip Collins in
jail again before he's a day older."

"Yes, it is all over," the attorney said in reply to Dan's questio