He was the slickest fellow with his hands ever I seen. He got another out of his pocket somehow, pretending to get it out of the pile, and I never seen him, although I was looking for that very thing.
“Seems to be a good business,” says I.
“You bet,” says he.
“Can we go now?” says I.
“We could have gone this afternoon if it hadn’t been for you,” says he. “There’s nothing at all to fear. I’ve been doing this thing too long not to know how to manage the racket, you bet.”
“Where’s your place?” says I.
“Come with me and I’ll show you,” says he.
I asked him if he was sure there wasn’t no one watching us, which gave me an excuse to look ’round for Sam, who had stopped over by the post office. I couldn’t see nothing of him, though, and I wondered where he’d gone.
“Come on; it’s all safe,” says Clancy. “I’ve got the biggest pull with the police of any man in New York. Why, I pay the commissioners their little divvy. I don’t bother with no captains even. There isn’t an officer of the force what would dare to touch me.”
I could hardly keep from laughing as I followed him around into Ann street, where gamblers and green goods men used to be a big sight plentier in them days than they are now.