“Mr. Skinley, I wish to see the gentleman who came in before me,” said Somers, putting his hand on his pistol.

“Do yer?”

“I do.”

“Well, yer needn’t yell no more; there ain’t none so deef as them that won’t hear. You kin see him,” replied the man, with a grin, which seemed to indicate that Somers had been made the victim of a practical joke.

“Where is he?”

“In yender,” replied Skinley, pointing to the door of the room from which the sounds of revelry had come.

Somers had a great many doubts in regard to the situation. There was evidently a considerable body of men in the house.

“Mr. Skinley—”

“I ain’t Mister Skinley. I told you what my name was. My name’s Skinley.”

“Well, Skinley.”