rphy grinned and went on.

"Well, just as dese two birds meet I get a flash of da mug of da guy dat
crosses da street, se----"

"Go ahead, say 'see' all you want to," said Brennan impatiently.

"I get a flash of da bird's mug, see? and I make him, see? It was da
'Gink,' see? I try to make da other bird, but he turns into the alley
quick, see? Well, I keep right on my way and then come back, see? I
stick my nut around da corner of da building and watches them. They
hurry down da alley, see? and ducks in a door.

"Well, I'm not takin' no chances of gettin' plugged, see? so I don't
follow them. I just hang around for an hour and waits for them to come
out again, see? When they come out da door I spot it and duck back into
a shadow. They pass me so close I could a touched 'em, see? but it was
dark and I don't get no chance to make da bird with da 'Gink.' Well,
they go up toward Spring street and I trail them far enough to see them
get in a bus, see?"

"What did this fellow with the 'Gink' look like?" asked John, quickly.

"I'm tellin' ya I didn't get no chance to make him," said Murphy. "All
I'm able to get is that he's tall and black-haired, see?"

"What kind of a hat did he wear?"

"Straw."

"It's Gibson, all right," snapped Brennan. John's nerves tingled
throughout his body. A picture of Gibson as he was when he first saw him
flashed into his mind. He saw the commissioner's perfectly moulded
hair, black and shiny; he saw his neat straw hat in his lap.

"Dat's what I figured," said Murphy. "So last night I find a place near
da door I seen them go in and waits for them, see? I wait all night, but
nobody shows up. I figures dat if it's Gibson meetin' da 'Gink' you boys
will want to be in on it, see? I know dat joint like it's my own, see?"

"We see, Murphy, perfectly," interposed Brennan.

"So, I know there's a basement, see? While I'm waitin' I take a chance
and work da lock on da basement door, see? It's a padlock and I cop it,
see? This mornin' I get a friend to make a key for it, see? and this
afternoon I slip it back where it belongs."

"Murphy," said Brennan, "you're a wonder. Where's the key?"

Murphy reached into his pocket and produced it. Brennan glanced at his
watch.

"What time was it when you saw Cummings and this other fellow?" he
asked.

"I figure it was between twelve and one," replied Murphy.

"Good!" Brennan exclaimed. "It's half past ten now. We'll get down there
and get the lay of th