"So they tell me," answered Vance.
"You're all right," said, the man.
"How am I all right?"
"Oh, you fellows in Government employ always get your money
and have a good chance for pickings."
The detective eyed the man's face and answered:
"I do not get much of a chance to pick anything."
"I thought you fellows had a good show."
"How do you know I'm in the Government employ?"
"You are, I--reckon."
"Mebbe I am."
"You're a night-watchman."
"Well, suppose I am."
"Don't you fellows get a chance for pickings?"
"Not much."
The man drew closer to the detective; the latter was fully on
his guard, and had the stranger attempted any funny business
just at that moment he would have been downed so quick he
never would have known what struck him.
"You can make some big pickings if you want to, my friend."
"I can?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Do you want to make a few dollars?"
"Well, I don't mind if I do, honestly."
"You can honestly."
"How?"
"You are acquainted with most of the men in the Government
service?"
"Mebbe I am."
"You've been a long time in the service?"
"Well, yes."
"There's a man I want to become acquainted with, and mebbe you
know him."
"Mebbe I do."
The detective took to the game at once, and he was prepared to
let the fellow run out his reels.
"The man can do me a service."
"Why don't you go and tell him so?"
"It won't do for me to approach him openly."
"See here, Johnny, you're on some crooked game.
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