with a red belt around the waist, a fur cap and rings in his ears.
So Ikey was sent out to find the fellow, and I asked Old Finklebaum
what he'd give me if I'd bring back the Little Brass God. He says
he'll give me a hundred dollars the minute I put it in his hands,
and I ducked down State street in search of this gink with the
rings in his ears."

"And didn't find him?"

"If I had you wouldn't find me up here in this beastly country,"
replied Thede. "That is," the boy went on, "if I had found him
with the Little Brass God in his possession."

"So you really did find him?" questioned George.

"Yes, I ran across him in a saloon down near Twelfth street, and
stuck to him like a bulldog to a cat's back for two days and
nights."

"Why didn't you go and tell Finklebaum where he was, and let him do
the watching? That's what you should have done!"

"Not for mine!" answered the other. "Old Finklebaum would have
taken the case out of my hands, and fooled me out of my hundred
simoleons. I follows this gink around until he becomes sociable
and sort of adopts me. I gets into his furnished room down on
Eldridge court and searches it during his absence. There ain't no
Little Brass God there!"

'"Did you ever get your eyes on it?" asked George.