White shrugged his shoulders.
“It wasn’t me hit Holden on the head, remember,” he said. “I was against that sort of thing all along. Hegan found out that this man Holden sometimes took a lot of money down to his house instead o’ leaving it at the office in the safe. We waited for Holden in the street, and Hegan laid him out. We’d seen this sloop lying off the wharves and so when we had the money we slid down there and got aboard her. We were afraid to wait around at the station for a train. We didn’t want the sloop, mind you. All we wanted was to get away, and we thought we might make some place up the coast around Baymouth, run the sloop ashore, and foot it for the railroad. Hegan had the bag of money when we went aboard, and the first thing he did was to look for some place where it wouldn’t be found if the cops got us. One of the boards was so as we could pry it loose at the top and he shoved the bag behind it. It was pretty rough when we got outside and I was for turning back, but Hegan wouldn’t agree to that, and we headed up the shore. Things got pretty bad and I made sure we’d both be drowned, as I didn’t know much about sailing and Hegan wasn’t a whole lot better at it. The gale got us off Indian Head and we were nearly swamped. Our bit of sail went and next thing we knew we were drifting up the river. After a while she ran on a sand-bank and the waves came right across her deck. We tried to get hold of the bag, but it had slipped down where we couldn’t reach it. We were fairly scared by that time and so we left it and swam ashore, somehow, meaning to go back next morning. But we didn’t, because that same night the cops nabbed us both for the old burglary. I got three years and so did Hegan. Soon as I was out I beat it back here to get the money, but young Jack Holden was running the sloop and I couldn’t find a chance. Then Hegan showed up and we went after it together.”
“I see,” said the chief. “That accounts for the yarns about folks prowling around on the sloop at night.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” declared the prisoner.
“Now, White, it’s no use your denying it. There wasn’t anybody but you and Hegan who had reason to attack those lads in that cabin.”
White shook his head, however, and would not further commit himself.
“When did you get that tear in your trousers?” the chief asked, pointing to a very amateurish patch.
“A long time ago,” White said.