Well, the Old 'Un
dropped on him like a hundredweight of bricks. Multiply that by about
ten and you get what he'll do to me if he books me over this job.'
Tony looked thoughtful. The case of Cairns _versus_ The Powers
that were, was too recent to have escaped his memory. Even now Cairns
was to be seen on the grounds with a common School House cap at the
back of his head in place of the prefect's cap which had once adorned
it.
'Yes,' he said, 'you'd lose your cap all right, I'm afraid.'
'Rather. And the sickening part of the business is that this real,
copper-bottomed burglary'll make them hunt about all over the shop for
clues and things, and the odds are they'll find me out, even if they
don't book the real man. Shouldn't wonder if they had a detective down
for a big thing of this sort.'
'They are having one, I heard.'
'There you are, then,' said Jim, dejectedly. 'I'm done, you see.'
'I don't know. I don't believe detectives are much class.'
'Anyhow, he'll probably have gumption enough to spot me.'
Jim's respect for the abilities of our national sleuth-hounds was
greater than Tony's, and a good deal greater than that of most people.
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