Page:The Whisper on the Stair by Lyon Mearson (1924).djvu/237

 urally I strung along. I sneaked into the house, quiet like, an’ tried to get into the room downstairs. It was locked, so, after I give the once over to the other rooms downstairs, I came up here, where they jumped me. I got a flash of old boy Teck swinging for me, but I didn’t worry none about it, because that bird’s got no hands, so how could he hurt me? That’s all I know, sir,” he finished simply.

“Look’s like a glancing gash you got,” remarked Val. “Guess it’s lucky it didn’t catch you full; I suppose he thinks you’re dead.”

“Well, I don’t feel so darn strong, sir,” came back Eddie. “I suppose I musta lost a quart of claret. I think a drink’ll fix me up all right, though. What’s the next move?”

Val considered a moment. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “What do you think?”

“Well, there’s only one thing for it,” replied Eddie. “It seems to me we ought to beat it back to Miss Pomeroy’s house—I have a hunch that big yegg’s there; we’ll corner him there an’ give him what for.” This sounded reasonable.

“He has been running around loose rather too long, hasn’t he?” said Val. “I think you’re right.”

“Let’s go, then. But lissen, boss—he belongs to me,” insisted Eddie.

“Nonsense,” said Val. “He belongs to the Law—and that’s where he’s going. He’s interfered with us just once too often. I didn’t want to do that, but⸺”

“But you don’t have to do it, Mr. Morley,” protested his man. “Just hand the big bum over to me—an’ the law’ll never see him.”

“Your ethics are all wrong, Eddie,” Val put in.