text: CHAPTER VI. 
  
  AN OBSTINATE DETECTIVE. 
  
  Dan was in a fine temper when Seth finally released his hold, and after understanding that it would be useless to pursue the fugitive he turned upon his partner savagely. 
  
  "A nice kind of a chump you are! Let a feller burn your house down, an' then pay him fifteen cents for doin' it! After that, when I make up my mind to give him the dose he needs, you turn against me to help him! I s'pose that's what you call bein' a chum of mine?" 
  
  "That's exactly what it is, Dan," Seth replied soothingly. "After you've cooled off a bit you'll be glad I didn't let you pitch into a feller who wouldn't raise his hands." 
  
  "He didn't 'cause he don't dare." 
  
  "If a feller had any spunk about him he would dare to do all he could while somebody else was thumpin' him. Jip feels bad for what he did to us, an' would stand still to let you pound him; but it couldn't have done you any good, Dan. You don't want to get the name of bein' a bruiser." 
  
  "I'd be willin' to take 'most any kind of a name rather'n let Jip Collins off without so much as turnin' a hair on his head!" 
  
  "That's the way you feel jest now 'cause you're off your base; but wait a couple of hours, an' then you'll talk different." 
  
  "I won't if I live to be twice as gray-headed as ever Methuselah was, for it's a downright shame to let him go with money in his pockets after tryin' to kill us." 