“Ho, dear! Private, h’is h’it? Well, h’I’ll notify the h’inspector, h’and per’aps,—mind, h’I don’t say for certain,—per’aps ’ee may see you to-morrer.”
“But we must see him to-night. It’s important, I tell you,” cried Ralph to the apathetic official, who appeared to be about to go to sleep.
The reply to this was unexpected.
“Yankees, h’ain’t yer?” asked the sergeant.
“Yes; Americans, that is. What of it?”
“Ow, nuffin. H’only you Yanks h’are h’always in such a bloomin’ ’urry.”
“Naturally we are in a hurry. We are on the trail of some malefactors. Some bad men. They are engaged in some sort of nefarious business, and we thought it our duty to notify you at once.”
“H’oh, h’is that so? W’at ’ave they been a-doin’ h’of?”
“Why, we don’t exactly know. You see——” began Ralph in explanation. But the sergeant cut him short.
“So you don’t h’even know w’at they’ve been a-doin’ h’of, hey? H’I thought there was something precious h’odd h’about this ’ole business. Look ’ere, young chaps, ’ow do you suppose we can h’arrest these men,—h’even supposin’ there h’are h’any such persons,—h’unless we know w’at they’ve been a-doin’ h’of?”