The patrolman frowned doubtfully, glancing from the paper to Maitland. The cabby stretched a curious neck. Maitland groaned inwardly; he had seen that infamous sheet. "Now listen," the detective expounded with gusto. "Twice to-day this here Maitland, or Anisty, meets me. Once on the stoop here, 'nd he's Maitland 'nd takes me to lunch--see? Next time it's in Harlem, where I've been sent with a hot tip from the C'mmiss'ner's office to find Anisty, 'nd he's still Maitland 'nd surprised to see me. I ain't sure then, but I'm doin' some heavy thinkin', all right. I lets him go and shadows him. After a while he gives me the slip 'nd I chases down here, waitin' for him to turn up. Coming down on the car I buys this paper 'nd sees the pictures, and then I'm _on_. See?" "Uh-huh," grunted the patrolman, scowling at Maitland. The cabby caressed his nose with a soiled forefinger reflectively, plainly a bit prejudiced by Hickey's exposition. "One minute," Maitland interjected, eyes twinkling and lips twitching. "How long ago was it that you began to watch this house, sleuth?" "Five minutes before yeh come home," responded Hickey, ignoring the insult. "Now--" "Took you a long time to figure this out, didn't it? But go on, please." "Well, I picked the winner, all right," flared the detective. "I guess that'll be about all for yours." "Not quite," Maitland contradicted brusquely, wearying of the complication. "You say you met me on the stoop here. At what o'clock?" "One; 'nd yeh takes me to lunch at Eugene's." "Ah! When did I leave you?" "I leaves yeh there at two." "Well, O'Hagan will testify that he left me in these rooms, in dressing-gown and slippers at about one. At four he found me on this divan, bound and gagged, by courtesy of your friend, Mr. Anisty. Now, when was I with you in Harlem?" "At seven o'clock, to the minute, yeh comes--" "Never mind. At ten minutes to seven I took a cab from here to the Primordial Club, where I dined at seven precisely." "And what's more," interposed the cabman eagerly, "I took yer there, sir." "Thank you. Furthermore, sleuth, you say that you followed me around town from seven o'clock until--when?" "I said--" stammered the plain-clothes man, purple with confusion. "No matter. I didn't leave the Primordial until a quarter to eleven. But all this aside, as I understand it, you are asserting that, having given you all this trouble to-day, and knowing that you were after me, I deliberately hopped into a cab fifteen minutes ago, came up Fifth Avenue at such breakneck speed that this officer thought it was a runaway, and finally jumped out and ran up-stairs here to fire a revolver three times, for no purpose whatsoever beyond bringing you gentlemen about my ears?" Hickey's jaw sagged. The cabby ostentatiously covered his mouth with a huge red paw and made choking noises. "Pass it up, sarge, pass it up," he whispered hoarsely.