"Not a living soul, boss; I guess I know enough to hang a man—"
"Pooh!" said Gilmore.
"You don't believe me?"
"Yes, I'll believe that you were stealing White's coal."
"Leave me tell it to you just as it happened, boss," said Montgomery. "Then if you say I lie, I won't answer you back; we'll let it go at that."
Gilmore appeared to consider for a moment, his look of mingled indifference and contempt had quite passed away.
"I guess it sounds straight, Joe!" he said at length slowly.
"Why? Because it is straight, every damn word of it, boss."
And as if to give emphasis to his words the handy-man swung out a grimy fist and dropped it into an equally grimy palm.
"What did you do after that?" asked Gilmore.