hey called him
then, though he's climbed high enough since--well, whin O'Brien was a
plain, iveryday, thievin' conthractor, and a dom bad wan at that, he
had a nephew named Burke that married a Finnegan--or maybe ut was
Finucane--whose father pulled ould Sivinty-six, a wood-burnin'
monsthrosity iv an ingin' that be th' grace iv God an' a full sand box
might be good for a 3-per-cent grade anny dry day in summer but a
Friday. Annyways, as I started to tell ye, Danny Powers fired for
Finnegan or Finucane, whichever ut was, and him and this Burke----"

But Farwell cursed Powers and Burke. "You burn the wires getting those
cars for me!" he ordered. "What the devil do I care for all those
construction-days micks? You talk too much. Get busy!" With which he
turned and walked away with his companion.

"Pleasant gentleman, Corney!" Casey ventured.

The little station agent winked. "Th' black dog is on him sure enough,"
he observed. "Since his dam was blowed up, he has th' civil word for
nobody. Listen, now, Casey. Somebody will pay for that night's work."

"I don't quite get you, Corney."

"Oh, divil th' fear iv yez not gettin' me. I'm not speakin' now in me
official capacity; for praise God this dam is outside th' duties iv me
jurisdiction. I'm tellin' ye as a friend."

"I know, Corney; but tell me a little plainer."

"Plainer is ut? Yez are a man grown. Do yez think yez can crim'nally
an' wid conthributory vi'lence aforethought dynymite me employers'
property, an' no comeback at all? Have sinse!"

"Hold on," said Casey. "Go slow, Corney." But Mr. Quilty dismissed this
preliminary objection with a wave of his hand.

"Thim's figgers iv speech. I assume yez are innocent until yez are
caught. Faix, it's not me'd give th' hot tip iv a warnin' to a
crim'nal. But whisper now! Th' comp'ny is for siftin' this outrageous
outrage to th' bottom, an' then liftin' th' bottom to look under it.
Havin' put its hand to th' plow, it will l'ave no stone unturned to
probe th' mysthry. Ye seen that felly wid Farwell. He's th' railway
detective!"

"Meaning that they're out to round up somebody, eh?" said Casey. "All
right, Corney; let 'em go to it."

"In me official capacity," said Mr. Quilty, looking him sternly in the
eye, "I hope th' dirty blagyards is caught red-handed and soaked hard
for th' shameless and di'bolical atrocity they have perpetuated. For
such abandoned miscreants hangin' is too dom ladylike a punishment. I
want yez t