The old colored man turned slowly to the door. His manner was dejected. Evidently he had given serious offense.
Silently he turned the knob, but, before he had stepped over the threshhold, he heard a voice calling softly:
"Shag!"
"Yes, sah, Colonel."
"Eh—Shag—before you go, you—er—you might leave me that paper I see under your vest. I may have occasion to—to glance at it, to see what to-morrow's weather is going to be for fishing."
"Yes, sah, Colonel."
And, with a carefully concealed grin on his face, Shag drew the black-lettered paper from under his waistcoat, and laid it on the bed beside the "Complete Angler."
CHAPTER IV
SPOTTY
"Well, now," observed Detective Thong, and, somehow or other, his voice sounded really cheerful, "let's see where we're at, Mr. Darcy. Have you looked over the stock all you want to?"