The man went down the cross street to the next corner, from the shelter of which he watched the corner he had just left. He saw the policeman pass by, going straight on up the street. He paralleled the policeman's course, and from the next corner again watched him go by; then he returned the way he had come. He whistled once to the house across the street, and after a time whistled once again. There was reassurance in the whistle, just as there had been warning in the previous double whistle. He saw a dark bulk outline itself on the roof of the porch and slowly descend a pillar. Then it came down the steps, passed through the small iron gate, and went down the sidewalk, taking on the form of a man. He that watched kept on his own side of the street and moved on abreast to the corner, where he crossed over and joined the other. He was quite small alongside the man he accosted. “How'd you make out, Matt?” he asked. The other grunted indistinctly, and walked on in silence a few steps. “I reckon I landed the goods,” he said. Jim chuckled in the darkness, and waited for further information. The blocks passed by under their feet, and he grew impatient. “Well, how about them goods?” he asked. “What kind of a haul did you make, anyway?” “I was too busy to figger it out, but it's fat. I can tell you that much, Jim, it's fat. I don't dast to think how fat it is. Wait till we get to the room.” Jim looked at him keenly under the street lamp of the next crossing, and saw that his face was a trifle grim and that he carried his left arm peculiarly. “What's the matter with your arm?” he demanded. “The little cuss bit me. Hope I don't get hydrophoby. Folks gets hydrophoby from manbite sometimes, don't they?” “Gave you fight, eh?” Jim asked encouragingly. The other grunted. “You're harder'n hell to get information from,” Jim burst out irritably. “Tell us about it. You ain't goin' to lose money just a-tellin' a guy.” “I guess I choked him some,” came the answer. Then, by way of explanation, “He woke up on me.” “You did it neat. I never heard a sound.” “Jim,” the other said with seriousness, “it's a hangin' matter. I fixed 'm. I had to. He woke up on me. You an' me's got to do some layin' low for a spell.” Jim gave a low whistle of comprehension. “Did you hear me whistle?” he asked suddenly. “Sure. I was all done. I was just comin' out.” “It was a bull. But he wasn't on a little bit. Went right by an' kept a-paddin' the hoof out a sight. Then I come back an' gave you the whistle. What made you take so long after that?” “I was waitin' to make sure,” Matt explained. “I was mighty glad when I heard you whistle again. It's hard work waitin'. I just sat there an' thought an' thought... oh, all kinds of things. It's remarkable what a fellow'll think about. And then there was a darn cat that kept movin' around the house all' botherin' me with its noises.” “An' it's fat!” Jim exclaimed irrelevantly and with joy.