At the same moment Joe and some others, equally attracted by the roaring, strolled in.
The alderman hesitated.
"Yes, of course; I was forgetting."
"If you'll lend it to the professor a minute or so?" said the watchman.
The alderman pulled it out of his pocket, and hesitatingly handed it to the watchman, and the watchman was turning hurriedly away with it when the alderman said nervously:
"I'm not sure if it's loaded."
"Well, you're a nice chap!" Joe Keats put in.
"I forget," muttered the alderman.
"We'll soon see," said the watchman, who was accustomed to revolvers. And he opened it. "Yes," glancing into it, "it's loaded right enough."
And turned away again towards the sound of the awful roaring.