“Sure I’m talking about you. I suppose you didn’t try to cop the pearls in Frisco when we sent you up there to draw Louie Wong away? Oh, I know all about that—”
“Why wouldn’t I try to cop them?” demanded Shaky Phil. “You been trying to cop them, haven’t you? When you thought Draycott was bringing them, what did you try to pull? Oh, brother Henry’s been on to you—”
“I sure have,” put in the professor. “Trying to sneak off and meet Draycott alone. If you thought I wasn’t wise, you must be a fool. But of course that’s what you are—a poor fool that writes letters to actresses—”
“Shut up!” bellowed Delaney. “Who had a better right to those pearls? What could you have done if it hadn’t been for me? A lot of help you were—mooning round with your tall talk. And you”—he turned back to Shaky Phil—“you pulled some brilliant stuff. Putting a knife in Louie Wong right on the door-step—”
“Who put a knife in Louie Wong?” cried Shaky Phil.
“You did,” shouted Thorn. “I was with you and I saw you. I’ll swear to that—”
“An accessory, eh?” grinned the sheriff. “By gad, just let this gang loose at one another, and they’ll hang themselves.”
“Boys, boys,” said the professor gently. “Cut it out. We’ll never get anywhere that way. Sheriff, we are ready—”
“One moment,” said Charlie Chan. He disappeared briefly, and returned with a small black bag, which he set before Madden. “I have pleasure calling your attention to this,” he announced. “You will find inside vast crowds of currency. Money from sale of bonds, money sent from New York
