“Just as I thought, of course,” he replied. Then his tone changed to a sharpness, a grittiness of command that didn’t set well with me for a whit.
“Now, I want to know,” said he, “just who you are and where you stand.”
Though I resented the manner of his query, I couldn’t but realize that he really was entitled to the knowledge.
“My name is Tom Grey,” said I, “and I am one of Chief Garth’s men. Last night he detailed me to——”
“Yes, yes. I know about that,” he broke in impatiently. “I saw you go in and leave his house. But what I want explained is: How did you happen to mix in on this thing at Port Washington?”
“The merest coincidence,” said I, rather lamely.
Then I gave him all I knew about it and the way it had come about that I happened to be swinging my feet from the stringpiece of the dock at that particular moment.
“Well,” he said, with a tinge of sarcasm, “it was a very unfortunate coincidence, as you call it; for I can tell you it wasn’t any cinch to throw off suspicion in landing that job as engineer of the launch. But I had landed it; and if it hadn’t been for you I could have delayed the start until four of my men arrived. They were coming on the next train from New York.”
“And so that’s why you faked that the engine was broken down?” I blurted, somewhat idiotically.
“Rather!” was the reply; and the sarcasm was no longer veiled. “And you can imagine my surprise when I recognized you entering Chief Garth’s place just as I myself was leaving.[Pg 43]”