For a long time these scoundrels had maintained a perfect reign of terror in the neighborhood of East 66th street, knocking men down and robbing them in broad daylight, breaking into stores, coming the flim-flam game on women, and all that sort of business.
There’s just such a gang operating on the West side of New York now, and the police seem quite powerless to do anything to put them down.
When the matter was placed in my hands I sent for Dave and told him that he must join that gang, find out their secret hiding-place and then betray them into my hands.
Dave heaved a sigh.
“Couldn’t you get somebody else to do that beside me, Mr. Brady?” he asked.
“Why, Dave,” said I, “you have been selected because I think you just the man for the job. What’s the matter with you going? Why do you object?”
“Well, to tell the trute, Mr. Brady (Dave always dropped into his old New York accent the moment he was the least excited), that gang is a tough one.”
“You are afraid?”
“Oh, no!”
“I could hardly believe it after all the evidence I have had of your courage. What, then?”