"Now you old sot," began the gambler, "you listen to me! I suppose if
they could shift suspicion so that it would appear you had had something
to do with the old man's murder, it would take Moxlow and the judge and
any decent jury no time at all to hang you; for who would care a damn
whether you were hanged or not! But you needn't worry, I'm going to
manage this thing for you, I'm going to see that you don't get into
trouble. Now, listen, you're to let well enough alone. North is already
under suspicion apparently. All right, we'll help that suspicion along.
If you have anything to tell, you'll say that the man who came over that
shed looked like North!"

"Boss, I won't say a word about the shed or the alley!"

"Oh, yes you will, Joe! The man looked like North,--you remember, at the
time you thought he looked like North, and you thought you recognized
his voice when he spoke, and you thought it was North's voice. He had on
a black derby hat and a dark brown overcoat; don't forget that, Joe, for
we are going to furnish young Mr. North with a bunch of worries."

The handy-man looked at him doubtfully, sullenly.

"I don't want to hang _him_, he's always treated _me_ white enough,
though I never liked him to hurt."

Gilmore laughed unpleasantly.

"Oh, there's no chance of that, your evidence won't hang him, but it
will give him a whole lot to think about; and Langham's a pretty decent
fellow; if you treat him right, he'll keep you drunk for the rest of