"I only know this," replied Ginger, "that you've got a good case, and if you'll let me into it, I'll engage to make summat of it." "Vell, I'm agreeable," said the Sandman. "And so am I," added the Tinker. "Not that I pays much regard to wot you've bin a readin' in his papers," purused Ginger; "the gemman's evidently half-cracked, if he ain't cracked altogether--but he's jist the person to work upon. He fancies hisself immortal--eh?" "Exactly so," replied the Tinker. "And he also fancies he's committed a lot o' murders?" perused Ginger. "A desperate lot," replied the Tinker. "Then he'll be glad to buy those papers at any price," said Ginger. "Ve'll deal vith him in regard to the pocket-book, as I deals vith regard to a dog--ask a price for its restitootion." "We must find him out first," said the Sandman. "There's no difficulty in that," rejoined Ginger. "You must be constantly on the look-out. You're sure to meet him some time or other." "That's true," replied the Sandman; "and there's no fear of his knowin' us, for the werry moment he looked round I knocked him on the head." "Arter all," said the Tinker, "there's no branch o' the perfession so safe as yours, Ginger. The law is favourable to you, and the beaks is afeerd to touch you. I think I shall turn dog-fancier myself." "It's a good business," replied Ginger, "but it requires a hedication. As I wos sayin', we gets a high price sometimes for restorin' a favourite, especially ven ve've a soft-hearted lady to deal vith. There's some vimen as fond o' dogs as o' their own childer, and ven ve gets one o' their precious pets, ve makes 'em ransom it as the brigands you see at the Adelphi or the Surrey sarves their prisoners, threatenin' to send first an ear, and then a paw, or a tail, and so on. I'll tell you wot happened t'other day. There wos a lady--a Miss Vite--as was desperate fond of her dog. It wos a ugly warmint, but no matter for that--the creater had gained her heart. Vell, she lost it; and, somehow or other, I found it. She vos in great trouble, and a friend o' mine calls to say she can have the dog agin, but she must pay eight pound for it. She thinks this dear, and a friend o' her own adwises her to wait, sayin' better terms will be offered; so I sends vord by my friend that if she don't come down at once the poor animal's throat vill be cut that werry night." "Ha!--ha!--ha!" laughed the others. "Vell, she sent four pound, and I put up with it," pursued Ginger; "but about a month arterwards she loses her favourite agin, and, strange to say, I finds it. The same game is played over agin, and she comes down with another four pound. But she takes care this time that I shan't repeat the trick; for no sooner does she obtain persession of her favourite than she embarks in the steamer for France, in the hope of keeping her dog safe there." "Oh! Miss Bailey, unfortinate Miss Bailey!--Fol-de-riddle-tol-ol-lol--unfortinate Miss Bailey!" sang the Tinker.