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Rh suppose, are you? I've heard about you. I know your whole damned rotten story and the way you've treated Boyde. But Boyde's a friend of mine. No one can do anything to him while I'm here...!"

He roared and shouted in that crowded bar-room, while the whole place looked on and listened, ready to interfere at the first sign of "a fuss." A blow, a little push even, would have laid me out, and in the general scuffle or free fight that was bound to follow, Boyde could have got clear away--but neither he nor Roper thought of this apparently. Roper went on pouring out his drunken abuse, lurching forward but never actually touching me, while Boyde stood perfectly still and listened in silence. He made no attempt to shake off my hand even. I suddenly then leaned over and spoke into his ear:

"If you come quietly at once it's only petit larceny--stealing the money. Otherwise it's forgery."

It acted like magic. An expression darted back into his face. He turned, told Roper to shut up, said something to the crowd about its being only a little misunderstanding, and walked without another word towards the doors. I walked beside him, the men made a way; a few seconds later we were in the street. Roper, who had waited to finish his drink, and was puzzled besides by the quick manœuvre, lurched at some distance after us. The two policemen, who had watched the scene through the windows, stood waiting. Boyde swayed against me when he saw them. I marched him up to the nearest one. "I make a charge of larceny against this man, and the warrant is at Mulberry Street with Detective Lawler. I am the complainant." They told him he was under arrest, and we began our horrible little procession to the station in West 21st Street.

Boyde was between the two policemen, I was next to the outside one, on the kerb, Roper came reeling in the rear, shouting abuse and threats into my face. The next time I saw Roper was in the court of General Sessions, weeks later, when Boyde was brought up for trial. By that time he had learned the truth; he came up and Rh