"A dozen, or such a matter, I should say."
"Have they been long in Colonel Shelly's employ?"
"Some have been there always, and some ain't."
"That's all I want to know on that point," said Roy, who was greatly relieved. "Of course the minute those old-timers see me they will know that you have made a mistake."
"Of course, they won't know nothing of the kind," replied the detective, angrily. "They know, and so does everybody else, that Bab understands his business and is not in the habit of making mistakes. Don't you build any hopes on that."
"Colonel Shelly will know that I am not his nephew, won't he? I can at least build some hopes on that."
"He ain't at home, and you know it as well as I do. If he was, you and I wouldn't be here in this carriage. You waited until he went off somewhere on business, and then you skipped."
"Oh, that was the way of it. The colonel must be rich if he can afford to own a whole island so near a big city like New London, mustn't he?"
"Aw! Go on now," replied the detective. "He's awful rich, and so are you. At least you will be one of these days."
"That's news to me. I've seen the time when I thought I was well off if I had fifteen cents in my pocket. What's the matter?" inquired Roy, seeing that his companion was twisting uneasily about on his seat. "Don't I talk fast enough to keep you awake?"