"Look here, William, what's the matter with you? Have you been swipin' my whisky. There ain't two men in that drawin'-room at all—just one—a swell," hollered the conductor as they reached the platform.
"Fo' de Lawd, Cap'n, I ain't teched yo' whisky," cried William in terror. "I swear dey was two of 'em, 'n' de udder was in disguise. It was de fines' disguise I eber saw!" he added reminiscently.
"Aw, what yer givin' us!" exclaimed McGinnis, entirely out of patience. "What kind av a disguise was he in?"
"Dat's what I axed him," explained William, edging toward the rim of the circle. "I done ax him right away what character he done represent. He had on silk stockin's, an' a colored deglishay shirt, an' a belt an' moccasons, an' a sword an'——"
"A sword!" yelled McGinnis, making a jump in William's direction. "I'll break yer black head for ye!"
"Hold on!" cried the conductor, who had disappeared into the car and had emerged again with a bottle in his hand. "The stuff's here."
"I tell ye the coon is drunk!" shouted the detective in angry tones. "He can't make small av me!"
"I done tole you the trufe," continued William from a safe distance, his teeth and eyeballs shining in the moonlight.
"Well, where did he go?" asked the conductor. "Did you put him in the drawin'-room?"
"I seen his ticket," replied William, "an' he said he wanted to smoke, so he went into the Benvolio, the car behin'."