"You bet it was," returned H. Robinson, with feeling. "I'll do as much for you some day."
"Ever hear of the Pope's mule?" asked Captain White, softly.
The detective muttered something under his breath, and continued edging toward the poplars of the avenue.
"The Pope's mule," went on Captain White, pushing along beside him, "was a peculiar mule. He got mad with a man once, but he couldn't get a kick at him for seven years. Then the kick was a revelation,—to the man of course. Afterward he understood mules better. I blame that mule. He was too patient. He might have kicked some of the man's connections, or his partner in business. That would have scared the man green, and kept him from nagging mules. You can always manage men if you take 'em in time, and are any kind of a decent mule yourself— Hurry up! what are you crabbing it so slow for?" and he slightly assisted the detective with his shoulder.
H. Robinson hastened his steps. He felt strangely calm; he was forgiving this man.
"We might be brothers or twin dogs in this lockstep," said Captain White, affably.
This remark was comparatively unoffensive, yet it caused something like lightning to dance before the eyes of the fat man. His wrath blazed high and fierce, and wheeling around he whacked Captain White soundly over the head with the small cane he carried.
"Whew!" ejaculated Captain White, delightedly, and drawing back he ran at his victim like a combative sheep.
H. Robinson was rolled off his legs, and for a few minutes he had a confused vision of a sky hung with Captain Whites, and an earth gay with the same decorations. There were Captain Whites to the right of him, Captain Whites to the left of him, Captain Whites behind and before, and each figure was frisking, jumping, rolling up its sleeves, and making a pretence of spitting on its hands. The figures tapped him, pushed him, bowled him over, helped him up, but kept him steadfastly moving in the direction of the big iron gates.
A kind of warning chant accompanied the dance, "Don't come back—better stay away," and as the chant grew louder some of its echoes floated to the ears of a quartette of people emerging from the wood.