"A badge that goes round your arm."
"Of course! How stupid of me! Just like a bracelet goes round one's—no, that won't do. Just like a gimlet goes—no, that doesn't either. I can't think of a simile, but I quite understand. Then we have 'one whistle.' What's that for? To whistle on if I feel lonely?"
"To summon assistance if you should require it."
"I have an idea that my whistle will be overworked. Shall I be able to get a new one when the original's worn out?"
The Inspector thought there would be no difficulty in my getting rewhistled.
"'One truncheon,'" I continued. "That, of course, is to trunch with. One truncheon, though, seems rather niggardly. I should prefer two, one in each hand. 'One note-book'—is that for autographs and original contributions from my brother Specials?"
"For noting names and addresses and details of cases," explained the Inspector. "For instance, if, when on duty, you saw Jack Johnson committing a breach of the peace you would—"
"Blow my whistle hard—"
"Certainly not. You would take his name and address and note it down."
"And if he refused it I could then whistle for help?"