The stranger entered the inn at a side door, and Gallegher, reaching it a few minutes later, let him go for the time being, and set about finding his occasional playmate, young Keppler.

Keppler’s offspring was found in the wood-shed.

“’Tain’t hard to guess what brings you out here,” said the tavern-keeper’s son, with a grin; “it’s the fight.”

“What fight?” asked Gallegher, unguardedly.

“What fight?  Why, the fight,” returned his companion, with the slow contempt of superior knowledge.  “It’s to come off here to-night.  You knew that as well as me; anyway your sportin’ editor knows it.  He got the tip last night, but that won’t help you any.  You needn’t think there’s any chance of your getting a peep at it.  Why, tickets is two hundred and fifty apiece!”

“Whew!” whistled Gallegher, “where’s it to be?”

“In the barn,” whispered Keppler.  “I helped ’em fix the ropes this morning, I did.”

“Gosh, but you’re in luck,” exclaimed Gallegher, with flattering envy.  “Couldn’t I jest get a peep at it?”

“Maybe,” said the gratified Keppler.  “There’s a winder with a wooden shutter at the back of the barn.  You can get in by it, if you have some one to boost you up to the sill.”

“Sa-a-y,” drawled Gallegher, as if something had but just that moment reminded him.  “Who’s that gent who come down the road just a bit ahead of me—­him with the cape-coat!  Has he got anything to do with the fight?”

“Him?” repeated Keppler in tones of sincere disgust.  “No—­oh, he ain’t no sport.  He’s queer, Dad thinks.  He come here one day last week about ten in the morning, said his doctor told him to go out ’en the country for his health.  He’s stuck up and citified, and wears gloves, and takes his meals private in his room, and all that sort of truck.  They was saying in the saloon last night that they thought he was hiding from something, and Dad, just to try him, asks him last night if he was coming to see the fight.  He looked sort of scared, and said he didn’t want to see no fight.  And then Dad says, ’I guess you mean you don’t want no fighters to see you.’  Dad didn’t mean no harm by it, just passed it as a joke; but Mr. Carleton, as he calls himself, got white as a ghost an’ says, ‘I’ll go to the fight willing enough,’ and begins to laugh and joke.  And this morning he went right into the bar-room, where all the sports were setting, and said he was going in to town to see some friends; and as he starts off he laughs an’ says, ’This don’t look as if I was afraid of seeing people, does it?’ but Dad says it was just bluff that made him do it, and Dad thinks that if he hadn’t said what he did, this Mr. Carleton wouldn’t have left his room at all.”

Gallegher had got all he wanted, and much more than he had hoped for—­so much more that his walk back to the station was in the nature of a triumphal march.

He had twenty minutes to wait for the next train, and it seemed an hour.  While waiting he sent a telegram to Hefflefinger at his hotel.  It read:  “Your man is near the Torresdale station, on Pennsylvania Railroad; take cab, and meet me at station.  Wait until I come.  Gallegher.”