Leave him to me, young women, an' I'll put the thumb-screws on him in short order." Here was the sort of energetic confederate they had longed for.

The Major's assurance of co-operation was welcome indeed, and while he entered heartily into their campaign he agreed that no mention of the affair ought to reach Uncle John's ears until the case was complete and they could call upon the authorities to arrest the criminal.
"It's me humble opinion," he remarked, "that the interesting individual you call the 'avenger' was put on the trail by someone here--either Thomas Hucks, or the timber-toed book agent, or the respectable hardware man.

Being invited to come and do his worst, he passed himself as a docther on a fishing excursion, and having with deliberate intent murthered Captain Wegg, got himself called by the coroner to testify that the victim died of heart disease.

A very pretty bit of scoundrelism; eh, me dears ?" "But the robber--who do you think he was ?" asked Louise.
"That I've still to discover.

You inform me that Hucks is eager for money and acts like a miser.