"Is dot some more foolin's?" asked the German boy suspiciously. "Naw, dat's de straight goods; won't we, Mike?" "Sure." "Dot's all right, den. I vun't say noddings. But it's queer about dot Dick Box. He has forgotten all about hisself, und he don't even know vot his own name is. Ach! Dot's a yoke, too, I dinks!" and the German boy, laughing himself back into good nature, left the two plotters. "Well, what next?" asked Mike of his crony, after Sam's departure. "I don't know exactly. I've got t' t'ink it out. But I'll bet we kin find out where de kid belongs an' git dat reward away from Jimmy. He don't know nuttin'. He can't read or write." "No, but Dutchy kin, an' maybe he'll help him. Youse heard what he said about lookin' fer a reward in de papers." "Oh, dat's all right. I'll fix Dutchy. I'll give him a song an' dance, an' he won't know whether he's standin' on his head or his feet. Youse leave Dutchy t' me. I'll 'tend t' him." "All right. Go ahead; but I git half de reward." "Sure. Ain't we pals?" "What ye goin' t' do foist?" "I'm goin' t' have a talk wid de police." "Dat'll give de whole t'ing away." "Naw. Not de way I do it. I knows a detective, an' I kin find out on de quiet if dere's any alarm out fer a boy answerin' Dick's description. Dat's what I'll do foist." Meanwhile Dick and Jimmy, all unconscious of the plot against them, were in their new room discussing plans for the next day. CHAPTER XII DICK BECOMES A TEACHER For several days Dick and Jimmy did well as partners in the newspaper business. There happened to be considerable news, and there was a good demand for papers. Consequently the boys sold a large number and their earnings were considerable. "Crimps! But we'll be millionaires if dis keeps on," remarked Jimmy one night, when they were in their room counting up their cash. "Hardly that," replied Dick, "but we have enough for our next week's room rent, sufficient to live on and three dollars besides. I think we had better open a bank account with that." "A bank account?" "Yes; why not? Frank Merton told me about the Dime Savings Bank, where he puts his money." On Frank's return from Brooklyn he had renewed his acquaintance with Dick, and the two boys had taken quite a liking to one another. "Well, youse is de treasurer of dis firm," replied Jimmy. "If youse t'inks a bank account is de proper t'ing, why, go ahead an' open it. I guess I kin stand it if youse kin." "It will be a good thing in case we have bad luck. We'll have something to fall back on for our room rent." "All right, sport," exclaimed Jimmy, who occasionally did not use Dick's name in speaking to him, calling him whatever he happened to think of in the way of street slang. "Go ahead, cully. I'm game."