I've never seen a man so brightened up and
cheerful just for a word or so. It was a sight to see. And you can take
and drown me if it isn't gospel truth every single bit I've said. I sat
there just as I'm sitting now, and Inspector as it might be there...."
And Grindhusen rambled on.
* * * * *
Next morning early, before it was fairly light, Engineer Lassen stopped me
on the street. It was only half-past three. I was all fitted out for a
tramp up the river, with my boat-hook and a store of food. Grindhusen was
having a drinking-bout in town, and I was going to do his beat as well as
my own. That would take me right up to the top of the hills, and I had
packed a double stock of food accordingly.
The engineer was evidently coming down from a party somewhere; he was
laughing and talking loudly with a couple of other men, all of them more
or less drunk.
"Go on ahead a bit," he said to the others. And then, turning to me, he
asked: "Where are you off to?"
I told him what I had in mind.
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