bb.
"You'll understand that perfectly. You are a detective, and I'm a
detective, Witzel or Wotzel or Wutzel--who cares? We understand each
other. Don't we?"

"I presume to suppose we will do so in the course of time," said Philo
Gubb politely.

"Pre-cise-ly!" said Mr. Witzel. "So I said to Gribble, 'I'm afraid of
Gubb! He's the man who will find Master, if I don't. But I've got an
advantage. I've got the clue.'"

He pointed to the suitcase.

"So Gribble says to me," said Mr. Witzel, "'Why don't you and Gubb
combine?' 'Great idea!' I says, and--here I am. How about it, Mr.
Gobb?"

"Gubb is the name I adhere to when not deteckating," said Mr. Gubb
kindly. "And as to how about it, I wouldn't want to enter into a
combination shutting me out from using the ability taught to me in
Chapters One to Twelve inclusive, of the Correspondence course. For
the twenty-five hundred which would fall to my share, I should expect
to detect to some considerable extent."

"Quite right! _Quite_ right!" said Mr. Witzel promptly. "That meets my
plans entirely. I make my headquarters here, I give you a free hand.
I am a--an inductive detective."

"Yes, sir. A Sherlock Holmes deteckative," said Philo Gubb.

"Ex-act-ly!" said Mr. Witzel. "I think things out. But you go out. You
shadow and snoop and trail. I remain here. For you see," he added,
"I'm so well known that if Master saw me he would disappear instantly.
Instantly!"

"I'm willing to transact it as a business bargain onto them terms,"
said Philo Gubb, and it was agreed.

Mr. Gribble immediately cut the cords that bound the two bundles, and
released a canvas cot and a bundle of bedding. Then he said good-night
and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Mr. Gubb waited until he heard Mr. Gribble's footsteps on the
brass-clad stairs.

"That Gribble man ain't what I'd term by name of a--of a--" He
hesitated. "He's not known as a strictly reliable citizen in any
respect," he ended. "I wouldn't trust him any more than need be
necessary."

"Thank you," said Mr. Witzel, who was already removing his garments.
"I don't mean to. And now, if you don't mind, I'll retire. Let's see
if Mr. Master has a night-shirt in his suitcase. I think it helps the
inductive mind to sleep in the night-shirt of the man it is hunting."

He opened the suitcase, using--oddly enough a key from his own bunch
of keys. He found a night-shirt and put it on. To his surprise it
fitted him exactly, which was