"I'll take the money," and Matt suited his action to the word, "but I can't let you go until you give up the ruby."
"No gottee luby," came the astonishing assertion from Sam Wing.
"You took it from the mandarin, didn't you?" demanded Matt.
"My takee las' night, no gottee now."
"Where is it?"
"Me losee when me makee lun flom spling. No savvy where me losee—p'laps where me makee fall down bank, p'laps on load, p'laps in cleek—no savvy. Luby gone, me no gottee Eye of Buddha."
It seemed strange to Matt that Sam Wing could carry the alligator-skin pouch safely through all his varied adventures and yet not be able to retain the most valuable part of his cargo—the part which, presumably, he would take care to stow safely.
"Don't tell any lies, Sam Wing!" said Matt sternly.
"No tellee lie—all same one piecee tluth!" protested the Chinaman.
"I'll have to make sure of that," went on Matt.