"Because I'm a friend of Skinny's, that's why," I said. Then I just blurted out, "I might as well tell you because, anyway, you're smarter than I am. They found a key on Skinny." He just said, "When?" "To-day," I said, "and it's probably a key to one of the lockers in our house-boat. Besides, that fellow who nearly got drowned had about a couple of hundred dollars on him." "Humph, I thought so," Winton said. I said, "Why?" "Oh, just because," he said. "The day he came over to try to buy a fishing-pole he had a roll as big as a cobblestone with him. I suspected he'd lose it some day and that somebody would get blamed." "Nobody is getting blamed," I said. "No, but somebody is being suspected," he shot back. "Well, he _did_ lose it, I have to admit that much," I said. "And that's all you're ever going to admit, hey?" he said, all the while moving the stick around on the roof. "_You_--_bet_--_your_--_sweet_--_life_, that's all I'm ever going to admit," I said. "Bully for you," he said; "you're about the best little scout I ever knew--next to Skinny." "I can stick up for a friend, that's one thing," I said. "Through thick and thin?" he asked me; "in spite of circumstantial evidence?" "I should worry about circumstantial evidence," I told him. "Why should I care about circumstantial evidence? What did circumstantial evidence ever do for _me_, I'd like to know?" Then he began to laugh. Gee, _I_ didn't know what he was laughing at. "Nothing would shake you, huh?" he said. "Believe me, it would take an earthquake," I told him. He looked all around and moved the stick around on the shingles, as if he was thinking. Then he said, "Well, Skinny went over to the Hudson to that house-boat you fellows came up on. He followed the old bed of Bowl Valley creek. Now don't get excited. He had as much right to go there as you have. He was all worked up, and he isn't just exactly right in his head, you know that. He just wanted to go home and be all alone by himself. The house-boat was the only home he knew. I didn't go on the boat, because I had no right to, and because there was no need to. I didn't know he had any key. I don't believe he hid anything, if that's what you're thinking about. I tracked him because I wanted to make sure he was safe and know what he was doing. As soon as I saw where he was headed for, I just beat it back. Nothing to it, Blakeley; don't worry." "But now you know he had a key to a locker," I said. He just said, "Well, what of it? I believe in him and there you are. I wouldn't care if he had keys to all the banks and safe deposit vaults in the United States." Gee, it just kind of gave me a thrill, the way he spoke. I said, "Anyway, now I know that I like you. I ought to have had sense enough to know before."