“Then why the devil doesn’t he?”
The straightness of this query rather nonplussed Stride. But he remembered that men in desperate straits had many a time been known to save the situation by consummate bluff.
“Perhaps he isn’t quite sure where he is at this moment,” he answered. “I could help him.”
“Then why the devil don’t you?”
“Look here. Let’s quit beating around the bush,” said the other, speaking quickly. “Will you take a piece of advice?”
“Can’t say until I hear it. But I’ll promise to consider its burden when I do.”
Denham was getting rather sick of all this mysterious hinting. He was also getting a bit “short.”
“I’ll give it you in one word, then,” was the answer. “Skip.”
“Don’t see the joke. Explain.”
“Don’t see it, eh?”