"Not if you expect me to believe 'ee. 'Tisn' a point off north-an-by-west."
"—Or," the constable continued, lifting a hand, "is it to say to you, 'It is sot in the north-west,' as the case may be? Or is it I was wastin' the day in idleness, same as some persons I could mention in the Force if there wasn' such a thing as discipline? Not so. I was lookin' up in the execution of my duty. An' what do you suppose I was lookin' for?"
"I'm sure I can't tell 'ee," answered Nicky-Nan after a painful effort at guessing. "It couldn' be for obscene language; nor yet for drunks."
Policeman Rat-it-all leant forward and touched him on the top button of his waistcoat.
"Zepp-a-lins!" he said mysteriously.
"Eh?"
"Zepp-a-lins!"
"Oh!"—Nicky-Nan's brow cleared—"You mean them German balloon things the papers make so much fuss about."
"Die-rigitable," added Rat-it-all. "That's the point."
"Well? . . . Have 'ee seen any?" Nicky-Nan lifted his gaze skyward.