opted this rather sharp device.

"Blamed if I can tell, Bob, what a detective would do," replied Tom.
"You see I ain't no natural detective like you. But I should think he'd
swoop down on the den and scoop it."

"And that's what you think a reg'lar detective would do?"

"Yes. I don't see nothin' else for him to do."

"Well, how would he do it?"

"I ain't no detective, Bob, so I don't know."

"I didn't s'pose you did know, Tom Flannery, so now I'll tell you,"
said Bob, who had seized upon his companion's suggestion. "A regular
detective, if he was in my place, and had you to help him, would do jest
what I'm going to do, and that is to send you into the den first, to see
what you can find out."

"Send me in?" exclaimed Tom, incredulously.

"Yes, that's what I said, wasn't it?"

"And that's what a reg'lar detective would do?"

"Yes."

"And that's what you're goin' to do?"

"Yes, of course it is. Why wouldn't I do the same as any other
detective? That's what I want to know."

"Of course you would, Bob, but I couldn't do nothin' if I should go in,"
said Tom, gently protesting against the proposed plan of action.

"You can do what I tell you to, can't you?"

"I don't know nothin' about it, any way, I tell you," replied Tom,
showing more plainly his disinclination to obedience.

"Tom Flannery, I wouldn't er believed that you would back out this way,"
said Bob, with surprise.

"Well, I don't want to be a detective no way. I don't care nothin' about
my name bein' in the paper."

"You hain't got no ambition. If you had, you'd show some spunk now.
'Tain't often a feller has a chance to get into a case like this one
is."

"Well, I don't care if it ain't, that's what I say."

"I thought you wanted to be a detective, and couldn't wait, hardly, for
me to work up the case."

"Well, I didn't think I'd have to climb into places like this old
Gunwagner's. 'Tain't what I call bein' a detective no way."

"You make me tired, Tom Flannery. You get the foolishest notions into
your head of any boy I ever see."

"Well, I don't care if I do. I know plenty detectives don't do nothin'
like this. They jest dress up and play the gentleman, that's what they
do."

"And that's the kind of a detective you want to be, is it?"

"Yes, it is; there ain't no danger about that kind of bein' a
detective."

"Tom, you'd look great tryin' to be a gentleman, wouldn't you? I'd like
to see you, Tom Flannery, a gentleman!" said Bob,