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chase meself fer de soivantsā€™ hall.ā€

ā€œYes?ā€ said Jimmy.

ā€œWell, dis guy, he gets to de door and opens it, and Iā€™m just gettinā€™ ready for one sudden boist of speed when dere jumps out from de room on de odder side de passageā ā€”you know de roomā ā€”anodder guy, anā€™ gets de rapid strangleholt on de foist mug. Say, wouldnā€™t dat make youse glad you hadnā€™t gone to de circus? Honest, it was better dan Coney Island.ā€

ā€œGo on. What happened then?ā€

ā€œDay falls to scrappinā€™ good and hard. Dey couldnā€™t see me, anā€™ I couldnā€™t see dem, but I could hear dem bumpinā€™ about and slugginā€™ each odder to beat de band. And by and by one of de mugs puts de odder mug to de bad, so dat he goes down and takes de count; and den I hears a click. And I know what dat is. Itā€™s one of de gazebos has put de irons on de odder gazebo.ā€

ā€œCall them A and B,ā€ suggested Jimmy.

ā€œDen I hears himā ā€”de foist mugā ā€”strike a light, ā€™cos itā€™s dark dere ā€™cos of de storm, anā€™ den he says, ā€˜Got youse, have I?ā€™ he says. ā€˜Iā€™ve had my eye on you, tā€™inkinā€™ youse was up to sometā€™ing of dis kind. Iā€™ve bin watchinā€™ youse!ā€™ I knew de voice. Itā€™s dat mug what calls himself Sir Tummasā€™s vally. And de odderā ā€”ā€

Jimmy burst into a roar of laughter.

ā€œDonā€™t, Spike! This is more than man was meant to stand. Do you mean to tell me that it is my bright, brainy, persevering friend Galer who has been handcuffed and locked in the coal cellar?ā€

ā€œSure, datā€™s right,ā€ he said.

ā€œItā€™s a judgment,ā€ said Jimmy delightedlyā ā€”ā€œthatā€™s what it is. No man has a right to be such a consummate ass as Galer. It isnā€™t decent.ā€

There had been moments when McEachernā€™s faithful employee had filled Jimmy with an odd sort of fury, a kind of hurt pride, almost to the extent of making him wish that he really could have been the desperado McEachern fancied him. Never in his life before had he sat still under a challenge, and this espionage had been one. Behind the clumsy watcher he had seen always the self-satisfied figure of McEachern. If there had been anything subtle about the man from Dodsonā€™s he could have forgiven him; but there was not. Years of practice had left Spike with a sort of sixth sense as regarded representatives of the law. He could pierce the most cunning disguise. But in the case of Galer even Jimmy could detect the detective.

ā€œGo on,ā€ he said.

Spike proceeded.

ā€œWell, de odder mug, de one down and out on de floor wit de irons onā ā€”ā€

ā€œGaler, in fact,ā€ said Jimmy. ā€œHandsome, dashing Galer!ā€

ā€œSure. Well, heā€™s too busy catchinā€™ up wit his breatā€™ to shoot it back swift, but after heā€™s bin doinā€™ de deep-breathinā€™ stunt for a while he says, ā€˜You mutt,ā€™ he says, ā€˜youse is to de bad. Youā€™re made a break, you have. Datā€™s right. Surest tā€™ing you know.ā€™ He puts it different, but datā€™s what he means. ā€˜Iā€™m a sleut,ā€™ he says. ā€˜Take dese tā€™ings off!ā€™ā ā€”meaninā€™ de irons. Does de odder mug, de vally gazebo, give him de glad eye? Not soā€™s you could notice it. He gives him de merry ha-ha. He says dat datā€™s de woist tale datā€™s ever bin handed to him. ā€˜Tell it to Sweeney!ā€™ he says. ā€˜I knows youse. You woims yourself into de house as a guest, when youse is really after de loidyā€™s jools.ā€™ At dese crool woids de odder mug, Galer, gits hot under de collar. ā€˜Iā€™m a sure ā€™nough sleut,ā€™ he says. ā€˜I blows into dis house at de special request of Mr. McEachern, de American gent.ā€™ De odder mug hands him de lemon again. ā€˜Tell it to de King of Denmark,ā€™ he says. ā€˜Dis cops de limit. Youse has enough gall for ten strong men,ā€™ he says. ā€˜Show me to Mr. McEachern,ā€™ says Galer. ā€˜Heā€™llā ā€”crouch,ā€™ is dat it?ā€

ā€œVouch?ā€ suggested Jimmy. ā€œMeaning give the glad hand to.ā€

ā€œDatā€™s rightā ā€”vouch. I wondered what he meant at de time. ā€˜Heā€™ll vouch for me,ā€™ he says. Dat puts him all right, he tā€™inks; but no, heā€™s still in Dutch, ā€™cos de vally mug says, ā€˜Nix on dat! I ainā€™t goinā€™ to chase around de house wit youse, lookinā€™ for Mr. McEachern. Itā€™s youse for de coal-cellar, me man, anā€™ weā€™ll see what youse has to say when I makes me report to Sir Tummas.ā€™ ā€˜Well, datā€™s to de good,ā€™ says Galer. ā€˜Tell Sir Tummas. Iā€™ll explain to him.ā€™ ā€˜Not me!ā€™ says de vally. ā€˜Sir Tummas has a hard eveningā€™s woik before him, jollyinā€™ along de swells whatā€™s cominā€™ to see dis stoige-piece deyā€™re actinā€™. I ainā€™t goinā€™ to worry him till heā€™s good and ready. To de coal-cellar for yours! Gā€™wan!ā€™ and off dey goes! And I gets busy again, swipes de jools, and chases meself here.ā€

ā€œHave you ever heard of poetic justice, Spike?ā€ he asked. ā€œThis is it. But in this hour of mirth and good will we must not forgetā ā€”ā€

Spike interrupted.

Beaming with honest pleasure at the enthusiastic reception of his narrative, he proceeded to point out the morals that were to be deduced therefrom.

ā€œSo youse see, boss,ā€ he said, ā€œitā€™s all to de merry. When dey rubbers for de jools and finds dem gone, deyā€™ll tā€™ink dis Galer guy swiped dem. Dey wonā€™t tā€™ink of us.ā€

Jimmy looked at him gravely.

ā€œOf course,ā€ said he. ā€œWhat a reasoner you are, Spike! Galer was just opening the door from the outside, by your account, when the valet-man sprang at him. Naturally theyā€™ll think that he took the jewels, especially as they wonā€™t find them on him. A man who can open a locked safe through a closed door is just the sort of fellow who would be able to get rid of the swag neatly while rolling about the floor with the valet. His not having the jewels will make the case all the blacker against him. And what will make them still more certain that he is the thief is that he

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