"There's just one thing I wonder about," Jeff said. "I've met a lot of
police in a lot of towns. All the rest had silver badges. How come yours
is brass?"
"It was silver when I got it," the constable said ruefully. "Blame thing
turned color on me."
"Why don't you polish it?"
"I do ever' night. Use soap and all. Can't do a thing with it."
"Have you tried Blecker's Silver Polish?"
"What's that?"
"A polish for badges."
"Never heard of it."
"Some store in Cressman should stock it."
"They don't. I've tried everything they have." He looked searchingly at
Jeff. "Do you have any?"
"Yes but," Jeff laughed nervously, "you've already got me on one charge.
I wouldn't care to be up on two."
"Let me see it," the constable urged.
"I'd better not."
"I won't tell a person, and you have the word of Joe Parker for that.
Come on. Let's sneak behind this fence and have a look."
"Well--"
In the shadow of the fence, Jeff took a jar of Blecker's Unique Silver
Polish from his pack, dipped an end of his handkerchief lightly into it,
and carefully rubbed a small portion of the badge. As though by magic,
the tarnish disappeared and bright silver gleamed where it had been.
"How much does that cost?" the constable breathed.
"Thirty cents a jar, but you've treated me so nicely, I'll let you have
two for fifty cents."
"Thanks." The constable slipped the two jars into his trousers pocket,
gave Jeff a half dollar, and said, "Guess we'd better get to jail."
"Guess we had."
The constable steered Jeff and Pal back to the court house but took them
into the basement, instead of the main entrance. There were two windows
with a desk beneath them, and behind the desk sat a gray-haired man
with a friendly face but a weary smile. In the dimly-lighted corridor
beyond were four jail cells.
The constable paused at the desk. "Hi, Pop," he greeted the jailer.
"This peddler was peddlin' near stores. You tell him what to do with his
dog and pack, huh?"
Without another glance at Jeff, Joe Parker turned and started back
toward the entrance. Even as he walked, he industriously polished his
badge.