But how about Nick's alibi; would the Chief accept his mother's word, knowing that the chances were Nick had slipped out of the house by a window when she supposed him to be sound asleep in his bed ?" "Oh! Nick had much better proof than that, Hugh.

He demanded that Chief Wambold call up old Deacon Joel Winslow, who, you know, is a man much respected around Scranton, and keeps the blacksmith shop out on the road to Allandale where it crosses the one leading to Keyport.
Yes, sir, and when the officer did so from Headquarters the blacksmith weather prophet plainly told him Nick had been working alongside himself from seven until a quarter-after-eleven the night before!" Hugh laughed.

It really seemed as though a load had been suddenly taken off his chest.

He had begun to fear lest his experiment might have already met with its Waterloo.
"I'm pleased to hear you say that, Thad, I certainly am," he remarked, "And did our wonderful Chief conclude to hold Nick after that ?" "He wanted to, Hugh,--I could see that plain enough; but Nick demanded that he be set at liberty.

Say, you know I'm not much of an admirer of Nick Lang, but he did bluff the tall Chief of Police good and hard.