They found Smithers in his room reading a newspaper. He seemed delighted, as usual, to see them, calling out heartily:
“Come in, lads, an’ make yourselves at home. I tell you an old bachelor like me gets mighty lonesome sometimes. Think I’ll get married or adopt a family. What’s on your mind?”
“We’ve got some important news for you—that is, Artie has,” said Guy. “That’s why we called so late—thought you’d like to know it. He saw the man today who tried to hold us up.”
“What!”
There could be no doubt that Smithers was interested. He exhibited more astonishment than Guy had shown at Artie’s information; he sprang to his feet, then sank back into his seat and broke into a laugh.
“You don’t mean he tried to hold you up again?” he inquired, turning to Artie.
“No,” was the clerk’s smiling answer. “He wanted his gun back, I suppose.”
“His gun back?”
“Yes, he came to the desk and asked for you.”
“Asked for me!”