"I'll get that thousand pounds yet," he muttered as he passed out, "and by the merest fluke, too. And 'The Knifer' is in it, eh! Well, well! To think of playing it on an intelligent chap like Sanders—but they are all fools, every one of them."
Thus communing with himself, Blount walked rapidly in the direction of "Blind Jim's;" but once in the neighborhood, proceeded at a leisurely gait to that den. As those who frequented the place were all night owls of the worst type, there were but few present when Blount entered, and Jaggers was not among them.
The last time Blount visited Jaggers, the latter became a person of importance because of his intimacy with him, and it occurred to Blount that he could perhaps get something out of "Blind Jim" on the strength of this apparent intimacy.
There were no love lost between the proprietor and the police—especially that portion of it represented in the person of Blount—but he bowed obsequiously as the latter approached.
"I want to meet Jaggers again—where is he?" said Blount, after declining an offer of "something," and ignoring an inquiry as to his health.
As may be supposed "Blind Jim" knew of Jaggers' last bit of business, and hesitated a moment before answering that he did not know.
Jaggers had become very drunk after Blount had gone away the last time the latter called, and had told the proprietor of the den that he had put Blount up to a big thing. Remembrance of this made Jim add that Jaggers had been there the previous night for the first time in a couple of weeks, and was very drunk when he left.
"When you see him again, say I want to see him about that matter. He will know what I mean—I think I will take some beer."
This chimed in exactly with Jaggers' story, and induced "Jim" to say:
"Suppose I make it a quart o' bitter, Mr. Blount, an take it over to 'Nell'—you know her? She 'n Jaggers went out together last night."