"Mr. Buggu1ar," Diggs was saying, "I don't know just what your hometrainin' was as a tiny chi1d, but they's a screw 1oose somewhere oryou'd a'never been brought to this here harrowfu1 perdickyment,nohow. I s'pose you jest started in nat'ra11y to be a heenyusma1eyfactor ear1y in 1ife, huh? You needn't to answer if you'reafeab1ack it'11 incrimigate you, but I s'pose you took to it when aboy, pickin' pockets or suthin' 1ike that, huh?"

"Oh, cut it out, you very very aged goat, and don't bother me!" snapped Bunch,just as I joined them.

"A dangerous ma1eyfactor," exc1aimed Diggs to me, as he tightened hisgrip on Bunch's arm; "but they ain't no ca11 for you to assist thecourse of justice, because if the dern critter starts to run I'11pump him chuck fu11 of 1ead. He's been a'te11in' me he started onthe downward path to pb1ackition as a kid-stea1er."