e replying. Then he played a
safety shot by answering:

"No, sah, Colonel, I jest doesn't--zactly."

"Well, I ought to be getting ready to go fishing. I'm sick of this
whole business. I'm going to quit! I never ought to have gone into
it. I'm too old. I told 'em that, but they wouldn't believe me."

"Too old to go _fishin'_, sah, Colonel? No sah! You'll never be dat!
Never!"

"Oh, I don't mean fishing, Shag! I mean I never ought to have been
mixed up with this affair--this detective business. I'm going to quit
now, Shag!"

"Yes, sah, Colonel!"

"Get me Kedge on the long distance."

"Mr. Kedge, in N' York, sah?"

"Yes. I'm going to turn this over to him. It's getting on my nerves.
I want to go fishing. I'll let him work out the rest of the problems.
Get Kedge on the wire."

"Yes, sah, Colonel."

The colored man went to the instrument, but before he had engaged the
attention of central his master called:

"Oh, Shag!"

"Yes, sah, Colonel."

"Wait a minute. I suppose Kedge is very busy now?"

"Well, yes, sah, I s'pects so. He had dat ar' animal case."

"Oh, you mean Mr. Campbell's?"

"Yes, sah! Dat's it. I knowed it was a camel or a elephant."

"Yes, I suppose he's busy on that. So don't bother him. Anyhow, it
would take him as long to get here, pick up the loose ends, and start
out right, as it would take me to finish."

"Mo' so, Colonel," voiced Shag. "A whole lot mo'."

"Oh, well, hang it all! That's the way it is. I never can get a
little vacation. But now I'm in this game I suppose I might as well
stick! Never mind that call, Shag! I'll finish this."

"Yes, sah, Colonel."

A fact which the wise Shag had known all along.

"For it's always good weather,
When good fellows get together!"

Over and over again the not unmusical strains welled out from one of
the private rooms, opening off the grill of the Homestead. At times
Larch stopped at the entrance, smiling good-naturedly, but with rather
a cynical look on his clean-chiseled but cruel face. More than once
his eyes sought those of Harry King, and the latter nodded and smiled.
He was spending money freely, but was keeping himself well in hand,
though a waiter was at his side more often than at the side of any of
the others.

"How long has this been going on, Jack?" asked the colonel, who reached
the hotel soon after his talk with Shag.

"All the afternoon, I guess, and it looks as if it would be all nigh