"A whole lot; come, out with it. Where were you to see and hear all this?"
"I was in White's woodshed," said Montgomery rather sullenly.
"Oh, ho, you were up to your old tricks!"
"He'll never miss it; I couldn't freeze to death; there's a livin' comin' to me," said the handy-man doggedly.
"You'll probably have a try for it back of iron bars!" said Gilmore.
But it was plain that Montgomery did not enjoy Mr. Gilmore's humor.
"White's coal house is right acrost the alley from old McBride's shed. You can go look, boss, if you don't believe me, and there's a small door opening out on to the alley, where the coal is put in."
"All the same you should keep out of people's coal houses, or one of these days you'll bring off more than you bargained for; say a load of shot."
"Maybe you'd like to know who I seen come over that roof?" said the handy-man impatiently.
"How many people have you told this yarn to already?" asked Gilmore, who seemed more anxious to discredit the handy-man in his own eyes than anything else.