“I’m Plumbo Boggs of old Bayhaven; from harm your air ship I’ll be savin’,” quoth he, striking an attitude.
“Do you always talk that way?” inquired Frank.
“Yes; I’m a poet, though you didn’t know it,” was the response.
“Well, I don’t know that that will keep you from being a good watchman,” smiled Dr. Perkins.
“I’ll watch by day or I’ll watch by night; you’ll soon find that I’m all right,” was the quick response, while Plumbo’s blue, rather watery eyes, flashed feebly.
“That’s satisfactory. Mind, you are to let no one on board, under any pretext whatever.”
“Pretext is a word that I don’t understand; but I’ll keep them off though they come in a band,” rejoined Plumbo.
“How much will you do the job for?” asked Dr. Perkins.
“Two dollars will be my price to stay here; pay it and then no trouble you’ll fear.”
“I’ll agree to that,” said Dr. Perkins, “we are going uptown now. I’ll have your supper sent down to you and you are to remain here till you are relieved by us early to-morrow.”