“Gol darned if I want him around mum-mum-me!” declared Joe Gamp. “I had a pup-pup-pup-pickpocket sus-sus-swipe a watch off me one time, and I’ve steered clear of um ever sence.”
“Did you know when it was done?” asked Griswold.
“Gosh, yes! Feller held me right up with a pup-pup-pistol.”
“What did you do?”
“I hollered for help.”
“What did he do?”
“Why, he just sus-sus-said, ‘Bub-bub-bub-be calm, sir; I dud-dud-dud-don’t need any help; I cuc-cuc-cuc-can do this job alone.’ And he did it.”
The manner in which Joe told this caused them to utter a shout of laughter. When the merriment had subsided, Browning observed, as he lighted his pipe:
“I’m afraid Merry will have this fellow Hooker hanging round after him, now he’s spoken to him.”
“Well, I fight shy of pickpockets and burglars,” said Griswold. “I don’t like ’em.”