nd crisp. They
sounded different somehow, more like business. And the light was turned
on in the garage!

First off I thought Dominick must be there. Maybe I wouldn't have dashed
out so bold if I'd doped it out any other way. I hadn't thought of car
thieves. Course, there had been some cases around, mostly young hicks
from the village stealin' joy-rides. But I hadn't worried about their
wantin' to take my little bus. So I arrives on the jump.

And there in a corner of the garage are two young toughs, jumpin' and
dodgin' at a lively rate, with Buddy sailin' into 'em for all he's worth
and givin' out them quick short battle cries. One of the two has just
managed to get hold of a three-foot length of galvanized water pipe and
is swingin' vicious at Buddy when I crashes in.

Well, we had it hectic for a minute or so there, but it turns out a draw
with no blood shed, although I think Buddy and I could have made 'em
sorry they came if they hadn't made a break and got past us. And when we
gets back to where Vee is waitin' with the fire-poker in her hand Buddy
still waves in his teeth a five-inch strip of brown mixture trousering.

"You blessed, blessed Buddy!!" says Vee, after she's heard the tale.

Oh, yes, Buddy finished the night behind the stove in the kitchen. I
guess he's kind of earned his right to that bunk. Course, he ain't
sprouted any wings yet, but he's gettin' so the sight of a switch waved
at him works wonders. Some day, perhaps, he'll learn to be less careless
what he exercises them sharp teeth of his on. Last night it was the
leather covering on the library couch--chewed a hole half as big as your
hand.

"Never mind," says Vee. "We can keep a cushion over it."

CHAPTER V

IN DEEP FOR WADDY

And all the time I had Wadley Fiske slated as a dead one! Course, he was
one of Mr. Robert's clubby friends. But that don't always count. He may
be choosey enough picking live wires for his office staff, Mr. Robert,
as you might guess by my bein' his private sec; but when it came to
gettin' a job lot of friends wished on him early in his career, I must
say he couldn't have been very finicky.

Not that Waddy's a reg'lar washout, or carries a perfect vacuum between
the ears, or practices any of the seven deadly sins. He's a cheerful,
good-natured party, even if he is built like a 2x4 and about as broad in
the shoulders as a cough drop is thick. I understand he qualifies in the
scheme of things by playin' a