“What’s been happenin’?”
“Has been a l-little confusin’,” says Mark. “But it all come out right except l-lettin’ that boat git away, and maybe that was for the b-best. George Piggins was in it.”
“What’s that?” says I.
“It was George,” says Mark.
“How d’you know?” says I.
“Easy,” says he. “Jest think t-t-things over. You and me was watchin’ Tod Nodder. A man was watchin’ him, t-too. That was Wiggamore’s detective. He figgered like we did, that Tod Nodder might lead him to George—which is jest what happened.”
“But those other fellers,” says I.
“Why, Tallow and Binney, of course! We left one to watch the detective and the other to watch Miss Piggins. When Tod stopped at Miss Piggins’s Binney took after him. Of course Tallow was right after the detective all the while. So we got into one p-parade. I was all p-puzzled at first, but it come to me all in a minute. That’s how I knew Tallow and Binney were here and yelled at them to head off George.”
“Um!” says I.
“But we didn’t head him off,” says Binney.