"Then," said the blond man, "this is what we thinks out and concludes: Blizzard he's calculatin' to receive stolen goods wholesale. First he stores 'em in here until this cellar is full, and then he takes 'em down to the river and puts 'em aboard a ship bound fur furrin' ports, and we thinks and concludes that he'll make his get-away about the same time."
"Well," said Bubbles, "I'm obliged. I won't forget your kindness. But it's time I was off."
"Come close first," said the blond man.
Bubbles was instantly alarmed. "Why?"
"Only so's we can feel your face, so's to know what you look like."
He stood impatient and embarrassed while they pawed his face with hard, grimy hands.
At last they let him go, he whose barrow was full accompanying him to the end of the passageway, and speeding him on his way with this comfortable remark:
"If you was to dive deep and feel around, you might find those as is leaded to the bottom."
It took every ounce of nerve that Bubbles had at command to let his legs and body slip down into the cold and tragic current. It seemed certain that dead hands were reaching for him. But he screwed his courage up to the sticking point, and called to his acquaintance in the passage-mouth a whispered but nonchalant, "S'long!"