"Pooh. You know I'm equal to you. But this story--" "The one I told Tung-yu last night," grinned Burgh, "I'll reel it out now, and you can sort it out as you choose. I believe Forge to be the scragger of the old girl, because he had that tie of yours." "How did he get the tie?" "I gave it to him," confessed Clarence candidly. "Yes--I remember you said so last night. But I forget how you explained the getting of it." "Huh," drawled Burgh folding his arms. "You might call it stealing old pard. Y'see Miss Pewsey--my old aunty that is--saw Olivia--" "Mrs. Ainsleigh, hang you." "Right oh," continued Burgh imperturbably. "Well, aunty saw Mrs. Ainsleigh pass the tie to you, and when you went to the cloak-room she told me. I was real mad not knowing how things were, as I wanted that tie for myself. I'd no notion of your getting things made by the young lady I was sweet on." "I wish you would leave out my wife's name," said Rupert angrily, and wincing with pain, for his wound hurt him not a little. "I'll try: don't get your hair off. Well I cut along to the card room--no t'wasn't the card room--the cloak-room, and saw you standing by your coat, just hanging it up again." "And you saw me put the tie in the pocket." "I guess not: but I fancied you might have done so. Then I waited outside while you yarned with the Chinese cove and Tidman. After that I cut in and you know the rest." "Up to the time I knocked you down. Well?" "Smashing blow," said Burgh coolly, "you can use your hands pretty well I reckon--but a six shooter's more in my line. Well, when you cut, I lay down and saw stars for a time. Then I thought I'd pay you out by annexing the tie." "You didn't know it was there?" "Thought it might be," rejoined Burgh coolly, "anyhow there was no harm in trying. I found the tie, and went out with it, thinking you be pretty sick when you found it gone. I went into the card-room where old Forge was cheating I guess, and had a yarn along o'him. He just roared when I showed him the tie, for he hates you like pie." "What's that?" asked Rupert sharply, "you are mistaken." "I guess not. That old man would have been glad to see you scragged, Mr. Ainsleigh. He asked me to let him have the tie--" "What for?" Burgh shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't say. But I let him have it anyhow. I wasn't in a position to refuse. Y'see Ainsleigh I'm not a holy Bill and--" "And Forge knows a few of your escapades likely to land you in--" "Y'needn't say the word," interrupted Burgh in his turn, "t'isn't a pretty one. But I guess Forge could make things hot for me if he liked, so that was why I lay low when I saw the tie round the old girl's throat. I guessed then, Forge had scragged her and boned the fan. I asked him about it, and he lied like billeo. Said he'd lost the tie, and never touched the old 'un. Then he said if I made any fuss, he'd tell the police about--" "About what?" asked Ainsleigh, seeing the man hesitate.