e cut by certain men.
Tim Flanagan was one of them. When he and Tom Martin got together
on this thing wheels within wheels began to work.

"Certainly, Tim," said Captain Martin. "We'll give Smith a
shake-down right here. I know him well. He is rich and will cough
it all up when we put on the screws. You and your friend take
seats. I'll have him here in a few minutes. Say, that's a lot of
money, though--over five thousand dollars, you say?"

I handed Tescheron's exact figures to Captain Martin. We waited
about twenty minutes, as I recollect, when a Potsdam giant from
County Kildare, the site of extensive greenhouses for the raising
of New York cops, brought in the trembling Smith. The startled
little rascal looked at me, but did not appear to recognize me. He
had been scared to a point I could see where he would give up his
last cent for freedom.

"You're at the old game again, Smithy," said Captain Martin. "How
much did you get out of Tescheron? I have the figures here; just
look it up and tell me--see if we agree."

Smith did not dodge.

"About ten thousand dollars, Stuffer and all," he said.

Stuffer! Five thousand more than Tescheron had admitted to me!

"How much does the interest amount to at six per cent.? Just figure
that up on all the payments, and put in Stuffer," directed Captain
Martin, not in the least surprised at the admission of another five
thousand.

"You'll square me against him?" asked Smith.

"Yes; you bring him here to-morrow, and I'll tell him--see?"

Captain Martin had never heard of Stuffer, but he played his meagre
hand with a winning bluff. The boundary line between detectivism
and poker is shadowy.

"I meant to pay Stuffer to-day," said Smith, "but I guess he got
tired waiting and came to you and squealed."

Smith figured for a few minutes with a small notebook in his left
hand, and then wrote on a slip of paper the following summary:

Services and expenses $2,040.00 Stuffer's fake bird collection
5,000.00 Fee to my man for appraisement of birds 50.00 Payment for
safe return 3,000.00 Interest on above for two months at six per cent
100.90 __________

$10,190.90

Captain Martin did not approve the summary.

"Smith, don't try to dodge me," said he, sternly. "Put that Obreeon
$1,000 item on there, and add the board bill of the Tescheron family in
Hoboken for six weeks at $63 per week, making $378--add interest--your
subpoena servers kept them over there as you