The men were struck speechless and they lost all power to move voluntarily. They stood and trembled involuntarily, and the dog continued:
"Oh, isn't it dead easy? What a bully old swag you will carry to Boston! The New York detectives will bark up the wrong tree, but I won't. No, no, you rascals, I'll bark you, and I am a New York detective lying around here for Boston thieves. I reckon Boston became too hot for you, and you thought you'd try your hands here; but, my dearies, when you get out of a New York jail I'd advise you to go to Alaska. There it's dead easy for a good slide, but you can't slide back to Boston from here with your swaggy—no, no. Just watch my tail waggy, you villains."
The men were just dead gone, and then the hound appeared to say:
"I told you that you had barked up the wrong tree this time. I'll bark now."
The dog did bark, and the latter was genuine. He had secured his signal and his bark was followed by the entrance of Du Flore, accompanied by a second officer, and the two detectives did not stand on any ceremony. They just clapped their irons on the two nerveless men, and then Du Flore said:
"Well, gentlemen, this was not so dead easy after all."
With men to talk to the thieves to a certain extent recovered their nerve. It was too late to avoid them, but they did ask:
"What is that?"
They pointed toward the hound.