Page:The purple pennant (IA purplepennant00barb).pdf/250

Rh ous. "Now, look here, hombres," he said, "this is just play, isn't it?"

"Play!" gasped Fudge. "What do you mean, play?"

"Why, this police business, of course. I mean, you don't really believe that I'm that train-robber hero of yours, do you?"

Fudge's jaw dropped and he stared blankly. Finally: "Do you m-m-mean that—that you aren't?" he asked in a small voice.

Mr. Addicks shrugged. "Naturally I mean that, Shaw. I thought yesterday that you fellows were playing a game and I entered into it for the fun of it. But when you burst in at half-past seven in the morning and want me to leave town without any breakfast—well, I quit. You'll have to find someone else for the part, old chap!"

"And you're not the train-robber?" gasped Fudge.

"My dear fellow, I never robbed a train in my life. Sorry to disappoint you, but—well, there it is!"

"Then—then w-w-what have you done?" Fudge demanded.

"Not a thing," laughed Mr. Addicks. "Shaw, you'll have to reconstruct your ideas of me. I'm