“You have found out that much?”

“Yes.”

“Then we return to my original question. If he is the man we suppose him to be, he is mixed up with a gang of crooks, of which he is probably the king pin. Those crooks are either burglars, counterfeiters, confidence men, forgers, or—or— what else shall I say, Nick?”

“Suppose you include river pirates.”

“Good! Let us drop the others and cling to that.”

“Why?”

“Well, I've read the papers, and the wharf- rats are gnawing big holes just now.”

“Right.”

“Let us say that he's a river pirate.”

“Very well.”