"
"You are not Vance."
"I'll play Vance for you, so sling out your game, Johnny."
The man took a step back.
"Stand where you are," came the command, "or I'll make you."
"Are you really Vance?"
"Come up to Ludlow Street, and I'll prove who I am."
"I ain't going that way."
"Oh yes, you are; you've run right into my grip, and I'm going
to shut you in with the rest of them, unless--"
The detective stopped.
"Unless what?"
"Unless you open up and tell me the whole story."
The fellow had a wicked eye. He saw that he had run into a
snap, and he was determined to take a desperate chance to get
out of it.
"I'm in for it," he remarked.
The detective had been watching the varying changes of
expression upon the man's face, and dropped to the fact that
the fellow contemplated some desperate expedient.
"I reckon, old man, the best thing for you to do is to own up,
make a clean breast of it."
"Are you really Vance, or have I run against some other
Government dandy?"
"I am Vance."
"I wish I were sure, old man, and I'd put you on the biggest
lay of your life."
"You're safe to give me any information you possess."
"But if I let on to you I want to make sure of my rake in."
"About as sure as I am for the fifty dollars."
The man laughed, and said:
"Well, this is a nice joke all round."
"Yes, a nice joke," repeated the detective in a peculiarly
significant tone.
"But," said the man. "I have some valuable information for
Vance.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157