"Well?" prompted Mr. Gilmore.
"Boss," and again Montgomery dropped his voice to a confidential whisper, "boss, I seen a man climb over old man McBride's shed yesterday just before six. I seen him come up on top of the shed from the inside, look all around, slide down to the eaves and drop into the alley, and then streak off as if all hell was after him!"
Gilmore's features were under such admirable control that they betrayed nothing of what was passing in his mind.
"Stuff!" he ejaculated at last, disdainfully.
"You think I lie, boss?" cried Montgomery, in an intense whisper.
"You know best about that," said Gilmore quietly.
"He come so close to me I could feel his breath in my face! Boss, he was puffin' and pantin' and his breath burnt,—yes, sir, it burnt; and I heard him say, 'Oh, my God!' like that, 'Oh, my God!'"
"And where were you when this happened?" demanded Gilmore with sudden sternness.
Montgomery hesitated.
"What's that got to do with it, boss?"