The stranger
came upon him suddenly.
One fact was established: the man had been the first to make
the discovery of the presence of the detective, and his good
luck gave him, seemingly, the advantage.
For a moment the two men stood gazing at each other under the
starlight.
The silence was broken by the armed man, who said:
"Well, mister, what are you doing spying around here?"
"Who says I'm spying around here?"
"I do."
"Well, you and I won't quarrel."
The stranger had a dead bead on the detective.
"No, stranger, you and I won't quarrel, it's easy for us to
come to an understanding; just tell me who you are, and what
you're doing around here, or say, your prayers as quick as you
can."
"Why, what do you mean, my good man?--this ain't one of the
South Sea Islands! I haven't fallen in with cannibals right
here in Suffolk County, New York State!"
The detective was coming the innocent dodge, and his little
lead off was most excellent, and displayed great quickness and
readiness of thought.
The smuggler, as later on the stranger proved to be, was set a
little back by the detective's pretended innocence, but in a
moment he recovered his ideas, and said:
"I think you're a thief!"
"You think I'm a thief!"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, this is a great idea, that I should be taken for a
thief!"
"You don't live on the island?"
"No."
"Have you any friends here?"
"No."
"That's just what I thought. And now, give an account of
yourself--what are you doing prowling around here?"
"This is a free country; a man can go where he pleases, I
reckon, without giving an account of himself to every man he
meets.
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