s.

As Riverbank had some remarkably clever baseball throwers, the
Ethiopian was dipped quite frequently. As the water was cold and such
a bath an unusual luxury for the Riverbank Ethiopians, no one
Ethiopian cared to be dipped very often in succession. Therefore the
Committee of Seven of the Exempt Firemen's Association, which had the
Dip in charge, had arranged for a quick change of Ethiopians, and
while one sat on the perch to be dipped, three others lolled in
bathing costumes just back of Mrs. Phillipetti's booth.

Mr. Beech questioned the colored men quietly.

"Turbine?" said one of them. "We ain't seen no turbine. We ain't seen
nuffin'. We ain't done nuffin' but sit here an' play craps."

"But you were here?" said Mr. Beech.

"Yes, we was heah," said the blackest negro. "We was right heah all de
time. Dey ain't been no turbine took from nowhar whilst we was heah,
neither. Ain't been nobody back heah but us, an' we's been heah all de
time."

"Well, perhaps you can tell how this board got pried loose, if you
were here all the time," said Mr. Beech.

"It wa'n't pried loose," said the yellow negro. "Hit got kicked loose
f'om de hinside. I know dat much, annerways. I seen dat oc-cur. I seen
dat board bulge out an' bulge out an' bulge out twell hit bust out.
An' dey hain't no turbine come out, nuther. No, sah!"

Mr. Beech went away. The detective business was not his business. He
specialized in coal and not in crime. But in going he passed by Mrs.
Phillipetti's booth and spoke to her.

"It will be all right," he said reassuringly. "We are on the track."

"Oh, thank you!" said Mrs. Phillipetti, who had completed the
"apropriety" of her "ongsomble" by wrapping a green silk handkerchief
about her head.

"I hope to return the turban and the jewel sometime to-morrow," said
Mr. Beech, bluffing bravely.

But Philo Gubb did not heed the notices posted to call him to the
Executive Booth. The evening passed and he did not appear, and Mr.
Beech, on his way home, stopped at the police station. It was after
midnight, but Chief of Police Wittaker was still on duty. He never
slept during the Carnival.

Mr. Beech explained the loss of the turban and the Dragon's Eye, and
early the next morning the Chief himself took up the hunt. By three
o'clock in the afternoon he had discovered several things. He
discovered that the yellow man who had claimed to see the board pushed
out from the inside was the husband of one of the w