“The man you brought there.”
“That wasn’t creditable of you, Hogan,” said Joshua, with his mouth full. “After my friend Joe had given you a supper and promised you breakfast, it was unkind to try to rob him. Don’t you think so yourself?”
“I couldn’t help it,” said Hogan, who had rapidly decided on his defense.
“Couldn’t help it?” said Joe in a tone of inquiry. “That’s rather a strange statement.”
“It’s true,” said Hogan. “The man forced me to do it.”
“How was that?”
“He saw me comin’ out of the restaurant a little while before, and when he met me, after trying to rob me and finding that it didn’t pay, he asked me if I was a friend of yours. I told him I was. Then he began to ask if you slept there at night and if anybody was with you. I didn’t want to answer, but he held a pistol at my head and forced me to. Then he made me go with him. I offered to get in, thinking I could whisper in your ear and warn you, but he wouldn’t let me. He stationed me at the window and got in himself. You know what followed. As soon as I saw you were too strong for him I ran away, fearing that he might try to implicate me in the attempt at robbery.”
Hogan recited this story very glibly and in a very plausible manner.
“Mr. Hogan,” said Joe, “if I didn’t know you so thoroughly, I might be disposed to put confidence in your statements. As it is, I regret to say I don’t believe you.”
“Hogan,” said Joshua, “I think you’re one of the fust romancers of the age. If I ever start a story-paper I’ll engage you to write for me.”