“Yes,” smiled Kelso. I understood him then, but I confess that I didn’t like his peculiar grin that time, and in subsequent years this impression never changed. There wasn’t much, if any, warmth in it. It always seemed to me that it was a smile like actors study for use on the stage. I laughed when I understood him to mean that he had some bonds to sell to me. I thought it was my play to exhibit a little nerve in dealing with these traitors, which was a most unpleasant experience the first time, so I asked Kelso why McCord and Radford hadn’t hung on to Billy Matthews when they had him under arrest. He showed his teeth in a most disagreeable way, and seemed to be on the point of saying something ugly. Presently he spoke:-- “There’s no good beating about the bush, George,” he explained, “for we know where the bonds came from, and we also know that you are one of the six men in the Ohio job. Now let’s come to the point, and it is this, pure and simple--we want our rake-off. As a matter of fact, we’re glad the Ohio fellers didn’t get you. Do you understand?” I saw there was little profit to me in palavering with these crooks, who were sworn to serve law and justice, so I told them that we’d better get to business and that the open street was no sort of a place to transact it. They admitted that officers of the precinct in which we were might at any moment interrupt us. I called a carriage, and at their suggestion we drove to Stetson’s Hotel in Central Park, the proprieter being a brother-in-law of Radford. Comfortably seated in a private room, with whiskey served on the table before us, I said:-- “Gentlemen, let’s come down to business. What do you want for the six bonds?” “Not a cent less than six thousand!” was what came from Detective McCord, sharp and quick, now that the negotiation was really on. “And you’ll not get that much from me!” was my answer, just as quickly and just as firmly. “The bonds will have to be disposed of at a ‘fence’ price, and considering that my share will not, all together, be more than forty thousand dollars, I’ll pay you four thousand for the bonds and no more.” Detective McCord did a lot of sparring, Radford jumping in occasionally with a sharp, mean thrust. Kelso kept out of the argument until he seemed to think it was time to smooth over matters. To me Radford’s manner was most irritating. I was not lacking in pluck, and once, had it been diplomacy, I would have lent him my fist. At length the sparring was interrupted by him. Said he:-- “I guess, Jack, we may as well keep the bonds and give this man twenty-four hours to sneak out of town. If we find him then, why, he can’t complain. We’ve wasted too much time on him already.” Kelso knew Radford had gone too far, and said so.