"Good work, McAndrews," commended one of them, deep-voiced. The others
murmured gruff approval.
McAndrews, from conversation that I gathered, was night-watchman in the
yards. He had one red-rimmed eye. The other was sightless but had a
half-closed leer that seemed to express discreet visual powers.
"Now go on in an' fetch out the other bum," commanded the deep-voiced
member of the posse, speaking with authority.
"There wasn't but only this 'un," McAndrews replied, with renewed
timidity in his voice, scarcely concealed, and jerking his thumb toward
me.
"But the little nigger said they was--ain't that so, nigger?"
"Yassir, boss--I done seen two o' dem go in dar!" replied a wisp of a
negro boy, rolling wide eye-whites in fright, and wedged in among the
hulking posse.
"Well, this 'un's all I seen!" protested the night watchman, "an' you
betcher I looked about mighty keerful ... wot time did you see 'um break
in?" turning to the negro child.
"Jes' at daylight, boss!"
"An' wot was you-all a-doin' down hee-ar?"
"He was a-stealin' coal f'um the coalkiars," put in one of the posse,
"in cohse!"
All laughed.
"Anyhow, I done seed two o' dem," protested the boy, comically, "wot
evah else I done!"
Everybody was now hilarious.
"Whar's yoah buddy?" I was asked.
"Did unt you-all hev no buddy wit' you?"
"Yes, I did have a buddy with me, but--" trying to give Bud a chance of
escape,--"but he caught a freight West, just a little bit ago.
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