two reporters entered as
he opened the door.

"Murphy," said John, "this is Brennan, a friend of mine. We want to have
a little talk with you."

"Glad to meet a friend of da Gallant kid," Murphy said, shaking hands
with Brennan. He reached into a drawer and brought out a quart bottle of
whisky which he placed on a table with a single glass into which he
poured a generous portion.

"Drink up, gents, and do your stuff," he invited.

John did the talking. He explained to Murphy that he and Brennan were
newspaper men and that he had told Brennan of their experience in the
raid and their meeting with "Slim" Gray.

"Hey, back up," Murphy interrupted. "Let me get ya straight. Are you
birds plannin' to show 'Slim' and the 'Gink' up?"

"Murphy," said John, "can we trust you?"

"I went da limit for you, didn't I?" asked Murphy, looking at John.

"You did," agreed John, remembering how Murphy had vouched for him to
"Slim" Gray. "That's why we're here now. We figure you can help us and
if you do we'll see that you are taken care of."

"You're straight with dat?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, do your stuff, then, do your stuff!"

At a nod from Brennan, John placed the whole situation before Murphy,
explaining every part of it carefully.

"Now, what we want you to do is this," he said. "We want you to find out
everything you can about what the 'Gink' is doing and let us know as
soon as you learn it."

Murphy listened without interrupting until John had finished.

"Do you know what'll happen to me if de 'Gink' finds I'm peachin' on
him?" he asked.

"We have an idea----" John began.

"An idea!" Murphy exclaimed, contemptuously. "Well, I got more than an
idea, see? I know what'd happen to me, see? I get my head kicked in,
see?"

"We'll promise you that for every piece of information you give us
you'll get enough money to make it worth your while," put in Brennan.

"Dat's straight?" asked Murphy, turning to John.

"That's straight," John assured him.

They left a few minutes later with Murphy's pledge, given with an oath
worded far stronger than the customary legal one, to act as their
informant and to keep secret every word they had told him.

"De 'Gink's' no pal of mine, see?" said Murphy as they left his room.
"I'm wise enough to know that he'd cross me in a minute, see?"

The interrogative "see?" that Murphy used to punctuate his sentences was
invariably accompanied with a gesture of his hand that resembled a