“He trailed us in Camwell, then?”
Tom appeared to be still a bit dazed, and Jack decided to defer the details of the story to some more appropriate time and place.
“I’ll tell you all about it later on,” he said hastily; “right now I want to recover some stolen property from the inside coat pocket of our friend, Mr. Duke, who, I perceive, is beginning to move.”
This was true. As well as his bonds would permit him, Duke was stirring uneasily. Presently his two companions began to move, too. At first they were too confused in their ideas to notice that they were bound.
“Where are we—in jail?” demanded Blinky.
“I dunno,” replied Duggan in a flat, weak voice, “what d’you think?”
Plainly, and quite believably, both were not unfamiliar with the state’s free lodging house to which they had reference.
“No; you’re not in jail, you rascals, though you richly deserve to be,” exclaimed Jack, stepping forward. “Duke, give me those bills you stole from us.”
“Don’t you do it,” warned Duggan.
“Pay no attention to him,” retorted Jack, “it will be best for you to give them up at once.”