human
The infernal Hindoo drew a knife on me!
gpt
I'd pull the pin on Ben Ali in half a minute, continued Boss Burton,
human
Where did you pick up Ben Ali and Haidee?
gpt
In Wisconsin, was the answer,
human
Where did the girl come in?
gpt
She came in with her uncle, of course. Ben Ali said his niece was good on the flying bar, and he brought her to see me. When she came she was in one of her spells, and looked and acted like a puppet, with some one pulling the wires. I wasn't much impressed with her, but gave her a try-out. She recovered from the spell and acted just as she did to-day, when she went up with the _Comet_--perfectly natural. She gave a good performance--mighty good--and I made a deal with her uncle. That's the way I got tangled up with the pair. Why?
human
Oh, nothing, said Matt carelessly.
gpt
The Hindoo and the girl have always been something of a mystery to me, and I wanted to find out what you knew about them. Where did they come from?
human
Give it up. I never look into the past of people who hire out to me. If they're capable, and do their work, that's enough. From what McGlory said, and from what I've seen, Ben Ali appears to have been sneaking around here, listening to what you and your friends were saying. If he hadn't inadvertently touched the keyboard of the calliope we shouldn't have known he was under the cover. Have you any notion what he means by that sort of work?
gpt
No.
human
Well, it's deuced queer, and that's all I can say. Do you think he ought to be bounced?
gpt
Yes, but I wouldn't do it.
human
On Haidee's account?
gpt
Partly that; partly, too, because, if you keep him on the pay roll, we may be able to learn something about him and the girl. I'm a bit curious about them, Burton.
human
It's a bad habit--this of getting too curious. It's dollars and cents for me to have the two with the show. What's more, and his remarks took a more personal turn,
gpt
After I eat something.
human
Well, rush the work, Matt. Do the best you can.
gpt
It won't be Haidee who rides the trapeze next time the _Comet_ takes to the air,
human
Well, Archie le Bon, then,
gpt
Nothing doing, reported the cowboy.
human
Where the Hindoo went is a conundrum. I couldn't find anybody about the grounds who had even seen him since he walked Haidee away from the burning aëroplane.