‘That’ll do,’ said the bearded man when it was some six inches up. ‘Draw out now.’
The wiry man came to the horse’s head and brought the dray out of the building, stopping in front of the yard gate. Taking the lantern from its hook and leaving the cask swinging in mid-air, the bearded man followed. He closed the coach-house doors and secured them with a running bolt and padlock, then crossed to the yard gates and began unfastening them. Both men were now within fifteen feet of Constable Walker, and he lay scarcely daring to breathe.
The wiry man spoke for the first time.
‘’Arf a mo,’ mister,’ he said, ‘what abaht that there money?’
‘Well,’ said the other, ‘I’ll give you yours now, and the other fellow can have his any time he comes for it.’
‘I don’t think,’ the wiry man replied aggressively. ‘I’ll take my pal’s now along o’ my own. When would ’e ’ave time to come around ’ere looking for it?’
‘If I give it to you, what guarantee have I that he won’t deny getting it and come and ask for more?’
‘You’ll ’ave no guarantee at all abaht it, only that I just tells yer. Come on, mister, ’and it over an’ let me get away. And don’t yer go for to think two quid’s goin’ for to settle it up. This ain’t the job wot we expected when we was ’ired, this ain’t. If you want us for to carry your little game through on the strict q.t., why, you’ll ’ave to pay for it, that’s wot.’
‘Confound your impertinence! What the devil do you mean?’
The other leered.