“I tell you he knew all about vest pockets, as sure as you live,” announced Nick.
“Looks to me as if he had got something in his pocketbook right now!” declared Herb.
“What’s that? A monkey have a pocketbook? You’re poking fun at us!” cried Josh.
“I am, eh? You observe me,” said Herb, as with a dextrous movement he seized upon the monkey, and by main strength forced him to eject something from his mouth.
“Say, it’s a real watch, fellows!” cried Nick, astonished; “he had it right in his cheek, sure he did.”
“And it’s my little dollar nickel watch,” said Herb. “Shows he searched me before trying Buster. All the same if it’d been a hundred dollar gold repeater. He’s a thief, sure enough. What’ll we do with him, fellows?”
“Tie him up, and if nobody comes after him, we’ll keep Jocko,” suggested Josh.
“Think he’d be lots of fun, I suppose,” grumbled Nick. “But if he stays it’s got to be on another boat than this. The little fiend would have it in for me. He’d worry the life out of me; and I just can’t afford to lose any flesh.”
“Changed your tune, eh?” taunted Josh. “Seems to me I’ve heard you trying all sorts of ways to get thin.”
“That was before I took notice of the horrible example we had along, of the living skeleton,” retorted Nick. “After that I just made up my mind to remain nice and plump. Some people look best when they’re fat, you know.”