"Huh!" growled the master criminal, covering the fact that he was considerably relieved to see him at last, "where have YOU been? I've been off on a little job myself and got back."
Spike apologized profusely. He had succeeded so easily that he had thought to take a little time to meet up with an old pal whom he ran across, just out of prison.
"Yes sir," he replied hastily, "well, I went over to the Dodge house, and I saw them finally. Followed them into a jewelry shop. That lawyer bought her a wrist watch. So I bought one just like it. I thought perhaps we could—"
"Give it to me," growled Clutching Hand, seizing it the moment Slim displayed it. "And don't butt in—see?"
From the capacious desk, the master criminal pulled a set of small drills, vices, and other jeweler's tools and placed them on the table.
"All right," he relented. "Now, do you see what I have just thought of—no? This is just the chance. Look at me."
The heelers gathered around him, peering curiously at their master as he worked at the bracelet watch.
Carefully he plied his hands to the job, regardless of time.
"There," he exclaimed at last, holding the watch up where they could all see it. "See!"
He pulled out the stem to set the hands and slowly twisted it between his thumb and finger. He turned the hands until they were almost at the point of three o'clock.