This was a revelation to young Randolph, as he did not know until now that old Gunwagner kept a fence.
“Don’t have me arrested, boys,” whined the old villain, now trying to work on their sympathy. “It would kill me. I am so old.”
“Do you expect sympathy from me, after your heartless treatment?” said Herbert.
“He made me do it,” was the reply, referring to Mortimer.
“Nonsense, you could have taken me out of that old cellar if you had wanted to do so.”
“Yes, and do you think you would er showed me any sympathy, if you’d got me into your clutches alone?” put in Bob.
“I wouldn’t have been hard on you.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” said the young detective, sarcastically. “Your talk tonight, when I was hid away, sounded as if you wouldn’t er been hard on me—oh, no, you wouldn’t. I could tell that from the way you plunged at me just now, when you came through that door with your war paint on.”