"I have, boss."

"You?" His tone betrayed neither eagerness nor interest.

"That's what fetches me here, boss!" Joe replied, sinking his voice to a
whisper. "I got a damn good notion who killed old McBride; I could go
out on the street and put my hand on the man who done it!"

"You mustn't come here with these pipe dreams of yours, Joe; you have
been drunk and all this talk about the McBride murder's gone to your
head!" retorted Gilmore contemptuously.

"I hope I may die if I ain't as sober as you this minute, boss!"
returned the handy-man impressively.

"Well, what do you know--or think you know?" asked Gilmore with affected
indifference.

"Boss, did I ever lie to you?" demanded Montgomery.

"If you did I never found you out."

"And why? You never had no chance to find me out; for the reason that I
always tell you the almighty everlastin' truth!"

"Well?" prompted Mr. Gilmore.

"Boss," and again Montgomery dropped his voice to a confidential
whisper, "boss, I seen a man climb over old man McBride's shed yesterday
just before six. I seen him come up on top of the shed from the inside,