“No, no,” said Spike. “Patsy don’t want to be in on dis game. He don’t want to know nothin’ about it, but all de same we’re on de dead level with him. You don’t want to be in dis shuffle, Patsy, but you’ll be in all de same on de scoring.”
Patsy understood by this that something was going forward that, in the opinion of the two, it was best for him to know nothing about until it was all over, but that it was in the line of his wishes.
Spike drew himself up, and, with a wink and a leer, said:
“I’m a little of a fly-cop meself and we ain’t doin’ so bad after all; are we, Bally?”
“Not on your life,” said Bally.
The two toughs laughed heartily, and Spike added:
“I give Lannigan de glad hand and put him on to de boys when he landed here. But he’s trowed me down. Maybe he’ll want to know who trowed him up.”
To this Patsy made no remark.
He was anxious to get away in order that he might follow the two toughs, for he knew that they had entered into some sort of a scheme in connection with this matter.
“Well, Spike,” he said, “if you don’t want to let me in to what you’re up to, all right. I’ve been on the dead level wid you and, anyhow, you ought to be with me.”