hurt you, uncle?" said Olive, looking anxiously into his
face.

"My throat hurts dreadfully," he said, "and I'm stiff. But I'll be
stiffer to-morrow."

The policeman picked up the hat of the black-haired man, and going down
the steps, he placed it on his head. "Now help me up with this
gentleman," he said to the cabman; "we must put him on the box-seat
between us. Take him under the arms, and we'll carry him naturally. He
must be awfully drunk!"

So they lifted him up the steps, and, after much trouble, got him on the
box-seat. Fortunately they were both big men. Then they drove away to
police headquarters. The officer was the happiest policeman in
Washington. This was the greatest piece of work he had known of during
his service; and he was doing it all himself. With the exception of the
driver, nobody else was mixed up in it in the least degree. What he was
doing was not exactly right; it was not according to custom and
regulation. He should have called for assistance, for an ambulance; but
he had not, and his guardian angel had kept all foot-passengers from the
steps of the public building. He did not know what it all meant, but he
was doing it himself, and if that black driver should slip from his seat
(of which he occupied a very small portion) and he should break his
neck, the policeman would clutch the reins, and be happier than any man
in Washington.

There were very many people who looked at the drunken man who was being
carried off by the policeman, but the cabman drove swiftly, and gave
such people very little opportunity for close observation.

_CHAPTER XXXII_

_The Stock-Market is Safe._

There was a great stir at the police station, but Olive and her uncle
saw little of it. They were quickly taken to private rooms, where the
captain was attended by a police surgeon. He had been bruised and badly
treated, but his injuries were not serious.

Olive was put in charge of a matron, who wondered greatly what brought
her there. Very soon they were examined separately, and the tale of each
of them was almost identical with that of the other; only Olive was able
to tell more about the two gentlemen in the barouche, for she had been
at her uncle's side, and there was nothing to obstruct her vision.

When the examination was ended the police captain enjoined each of them
to say no word to any living soul about what they had testified to him.
This was a most important matter, and it was necessary th