"Eh? Eh? What's that?"
Tad was embarrassed. He began speaking of something else. Professor
Zepplin did not repeat his question.
"I understand my men picked up a fellow named Dunk Tucker a night ago?" asked the captain.
"Yes, yes, indeed. Mr. Butler there is the one who is really responsible for the capture of Tucker, however."
"You don't say!" wondered the visitor.
"Exactly. Tad, will you tell the captain how you came to capture the man Tucker?"
"If you will pardon me, I would rather not."
"He's too modest. I'll tell you about it," chimed in Stacy Brown.
Stacy, once wound up, would continue to operate until he had run down.
He told the whole story from beginning to end, including the fact that
he himself had been wounded twice, ere he stopped.
"Fine, fine!" The captain leaned back and laughed uproariously. "You are a funny boy. I wish I had you with me. I could teach you a lot about dodging bullets."
"I'm a pretty good dodger already or I shouldn't be here at this minute," answered the fat boy pompously.