n a
jiffy! Whew! Fifteen hundred----"

The rest of what he said was lost to Nat and the sergeant, as the
officer closed the door, while he dressed. When he came out he
greeted Nat cordially.

"I don't mind being woke up for a case like that," he explained. "I
thought it was some measly tramp case. For the last three nights I've
been woke up by people whose henroosts have been robbed. I'm getting
tired of it, and when the sergeant called me a while ago, I thought it
was another one. You see, we've only got two policemen here, and I
don't mind telling you that I do most of the arrestin' that's done.
The other one--Tom Duncan--he's too lazy to arrest many. I do two to
his one. I'm on night duty and he takes the day trick."

Nat could not help thinking that the night man had the easier time of
it, even if he did make the most arrests.

"Now here's the warrant, George," said the sergeant. "Bring that
fellow in, and we'll lock him up."

"Oh, I'll bring him in all right. He'll not get away from me. Let's
see, I've got my revolver and my club. Guess I'm all right."

"You go right along with him," the sergeant directed Nat. "Point out
the man you want and he'll bring him in."

"Yes, I'll get him," declared George. He started from the police
station, followed by Nat. When he reached the door, the officer
suddenly turned back. "Come near forgetting my badge," he said, in
explanation. "It wouldn't do to arrest a man without my badge. He
might think it was only a bluff. Give me my badge, sergeant."

"First you know, you'll forget your head," murmured the sergeant, as
he passed over a big tin star.

"I take it off when I lay down for a nap of an evening," the policeman
said to Nat. "Some of the points might stick me, and I'd get blood
poisoning. You can't be too careful in this business. I knowed a
policeman once----"

"Say, if you're going to arrest that man you'd better get a move on,"
advised the sergeant. "That boat's due to leave at daylight, I heard,
and it ain't far from it now."

"All right, I'm going now. I'll be back in a little while with the
prisoner. Get a cell ready for him."

"Oh, the cell will be ready when you are."

"Fifteen hundred dollars," murmured the policeman, as he and Nat went
out into the night. "This will be a fine arrest. Tom Duncan will wish
he made this one."

"We'd better hurry," suggested Nat. "He may escape."

"Don't worry about that. No prisoner ever got away from me," boasted
t