settled solidly in the depths of the chair.

"Club and be hanged!" he replied with a snap of his jaw. "I won't go in
any dirty police wagon--that's flat! You may take me in a hearse first.
Get a cab or a taxi, if I have to go with you!"

"Gamey old sport, anyhow, by Jove!" I thought with sudden admiration.
Couldn't help it, dash it! Heart just went out to him, somehow.

I gently interposed as O'Keefe prepared to lunge again.

"I'll stand the cab for him, officer," I said with a smile, "if your
rules, don't you know, or whatever it is, will allow."

I added in a lowered voice:

"Makes it devilish easier for you, don't you know, and avoids such a
jolly row. And--er--I want to ask you and your friend to accept from me
a little token of my appreciation."

The policeman exchanged a glance with Tim and considered.

"Well, sir," he said, "as to the cab, of course if you're a mind to want
to do that, it's your own affair."

He turned to his companion.

"Just cancel that, Tim," he directed. "Call a four-wheeler."

"Thank you, Lightnut," put in the old man gratefully. "You _have_ got a
grain of decency left, by George, after all!"

Meantime, Jenkins was answering my inquiry.

"I don't believe, sir, you have a bit of cash in the house. You told me
so when you were retiring."

By Jove, I remembered now! The poker game in the evening!

I was wondering whether they could use a check, when I spied Billings'
wallet on the table.

The very thing, by Jove!

Examination showed, first thing, a wad of yellow-backs, fresh from the
bank. I peeled off two and pushed them into the officer's hand.

"This belongs to a friend of mine," I remarked; "but it's just the same
as my own, don't you know, and he won't mind. Dash it, we're just like
brothers!"

A howl of maniacal laughter from the old fool in the chair startled us
both.

"Regular Damon and Pythias, damn it!" he gabbled, grinning with hideous
face contortions. "One for all, and all for one! And just help yourself;
don't mind me. Why--_hell_!"

O'Keefe prodded him sharply in the shoulder with his night stick.

"Stop your skylarking now, Foxy," he admonished angrily, "and come on.
Here the gentleman's gone and put up his money for a cab for you and you
ought to want to get out of his way so he can rest."

"He's sure been kind to you," supplemented Tim, whose eye had noted the
passing of the yellow boys.

"Kind!" mocked the old geezer, showing his scattered teeth