"Now, he's nothing to us," said Billy Getz. "Now, what do you say,
Detective Gubb? If we fix it so you can grab him, will you split the
reward with us?"

"Half for you and half for me?" asked Philo Gubb, his eyes as big as
poker chips.

"Three thousand for you and two for us, was what we figured was fair,"
said Billy Getz. "You ought to have the most. You put in your
experience and your education in detective work."

"And that ought to be worth something," admitted Philo Gubb.

So it was agreed. They explained to Philo Gubb that Jack Harburger was
the son of old Harburger of the Harburger House at Derlingport, and
that they could count on the clerk of that hotel to help them. Billy
Getz would go up and get things ready, and the next day Philo Gubb
would appear at the hotel--in disguise, of course--and do his part.
The clerk would give him a room next to Jack Harburger's room, and see
that there was a hidden opening in the partition; and Billy Getz,
pretending he was bringing the money, would wring a full confession
from Jack Harburger. Then Philo Gubb need only step into the room and
snap the handcuffs on Jack Harburger and collect the reward.

They shook hands all 'round, finally, and Billy Getz went to the
window to see that no ghoul was lurking in the street, ready to murder
Philo Gubb when he went out. As he turned away from the window the
toe of his shoe caught in the fringe of the couch-cover and dragged it
partially from the odd-shaped pile in the corner. With a quick sweep
of his hand Billy Getz replaced the cover, but not before Philo Gubb
had seen the necks of a full case of bottles and had caught the glint
of the label on one of them, bearing the six silver stars, like that
in the cuspidor. Billy Getz cast a quick glance at the Correspondence
School detective's face, but Philo Gubb, his head well back on his
stiff neck, was already gazing at the door.

Two days later Philo Gubb, with his telescope valise in his hand,
boarded the morning train for Derlingport. The river was on one of its
"rampages" and the water came close to the tracks. Here and there, on
the way to Derlingport, the water was over the tracks, and in many
places the wagon-road, which followed the railway, was completely
swamped, and the passing vehicles sank in the muddy water to their
hubs. The year is still known as the "year of the big flood." In
Riverbank the water had flooded the Front Street cellars, and in
Derlingport the sewer