第7章

Thetimeforcautionhadpassed，nowwasthetimetoact。Jimmieracedtothetopofthehill，andfounditempty。Heplungeddownit，vaultedastonewall，forcedhiswaythroughatangleofsaplings，andheldhisbreathtolisten。Justbeyondhim，overajumbleofrocks，ahiddenstreamwastrippingandtumbling。

Joyfully，itlaughedandgurgled。Jimmieturnedhot。Itsoundedasthoughfromthedarknessthespymockedhim。Jimmieshookhisfistattheenshroudingdarkness。Abovethetumultofthecomingstormandthetossingtree—tops，heraisedhisvoice。

"Youwait！"heshouted。"I’llgetyouyet！Nexttime，I’llbringagun。"

Nexttime，wasthenextmorning。Therehadbeenahawkhoveringoverthechickenyard，andJimmieusedthatfacttoexplainhisborrowingthefamilyshotgun。Heloadeditwithbuckshot，and，inthepocketofhisshirtbuttonedhislicenseto"hunt，pursueandkill，totakewithtrapsorotherdevices。"

HerememberedthatJudgeVanVorsthadwarnedhim，beforehearrestedmorespies，tocometohimforawarrant。ButwithanimpatientshakeoftheheadJimmietossedtherecollectionfromhim。Afterwhathehadseenhecouldnotpossiblybeagainmistaken。Hedidnotneedawarrant。Whathehadseenwashiswarrant——plustheshotgun。

Asa"pathfinder"should，heplannedtotakeupthetrailwherehehadlostit，but，beforehereachedRoundHill，hefoundawarmertrail。Beforehim，stampedclearlyintheroadstilldampfromtherainofthenightbefore，twolinesoflittlearrow—headspointedtheway。Theyweresofreshthatateachtwistintheroad，lestthecarshouldbejustbeyondhim，Jimmieslackenedhissteps。Afterhalfamilethescentgrewhot。Thetracksweredeeper，thearrow—headsmoreclearlycut，andJimmiebrokeintoarun。Then，thearrow—headsswungsuddenlytotheright，andinaclearingattheedgeofawood，werelost。Butthetireshadpresseddeepintothegrass，andjustinsidethewood，hefoundthecar。Itwasempty。Jimmiewasdrawntwoways。

Shouldheseekthespyonthenearesthilltop，or，untiltheownerreturned，waitbythecar。Betweenlyinginambushandaction，Jimmiepreferredaction。But，hedidnotclimbthehillnearestthecar；heclimbedthehillthatoverlookedthathill。

Flatontheground，hiddeninthegolden—rodhelaymotionless。

Beforehim，forfifteenmilesstretchedhillsandtinyvalleys。

Sixmilesawaytohisrightrosethestonesteeple，andtheredroofsofGreenwich。Directlybeforehimwerenosignsofhabitation，onlygreenforests，greenfields，graystonewalls，and，wherearoadranup—hill，asplashofwhite，thatquiveredintheheat。Thestormofthenightbeforehadwashedtheair。

Eachleafstoodbyitself。Nothingstirred；andintheglareoftheAugustsuneverydetailofthelandscapewasasdistinctasthoseinacoloredphotograph；andasstill。

Inhisexcitementthescoutwastrembling。

"Ifhemoves，"hesighedhappily，"I’vegothim！"

Opposite，acrossalittlevalleywasthehillatthebaseofwhichhehadfoundthecar。Theslopetowardhimwasbare，butthetopwascrownedwithathickwood；andalongitscrest，asthoughestablishinganancientboundary，ranastonewall，moss—coveredandwrappedinpoison—ivy。Inplaces，thebranchesofthetrees，reachingouttothesun，overhungthewallandhiditinblackshadows。Jimmiedividedthehillintosectors。Hebeganattheright，andslowlyfollowedthewall。Withhiseyeshetookitapart，stonebystone。Hadachipmunkraisedhishead，Jimmiewouldhaveseenhim。So，whenfromthestonewall，likethereflectionofthesunuponawindow—pane，somethingflashed，Jimmieknewhehadfoundhisspy。Apairofbinocularshadbetrayedhim。Jimmienowsawhimclearly。Hesatonthegroundatthetopofthehillopposite，inthedeepshadowofanoak，hisbackagainstthestonewall。Withthebinocularstohiseyeshehadleanedtoofarforward，andupontheglassthesunhadflashedawarning。

Jimmieappreciatedthathisattackmustbemadefromtherear。

Backward，likeacrabhewriggledfreeofthegolden—rod，andhiddenbythecontourofthehill，raceddownitandintothewoodsonthehillopposite。Whenhecametowithintwentyfeetoftheoakbeneathwhichhehadseenthestranger，hestooderect，andasthoughavoidingalivewire，steppedontip—toetothewall。Thestrangerstillsatagainstit。Thebinocularshungfromacordaroundhisneck。Acrosshiskneeswasspreadamap。Hewasmarkingitwithapencil，andasheworked，hehummedatune。

Jimmieknelt，andrestingthegunonthetopofthewall，coveredhim。

"Throwupyourhands！"hecommanded。

Thestrangerdidnotstart。Exceptthatheraisedhiseyeshegavenosignthathehadheard。Hiseyesstaredacrossthelittlesun—filledvalley。Theywerehalfclosedasthoughinstudy，asthoughperplexedbysomedeepandintricateproblem。Theyappearedtoseebeyondthesun—filledvalleysomeplaceofgreatermoment，someplacefardistant。

Thentheeyessmiled，andslowly，asthoughhisneckwerestiff，butstillsmiling，thestrangerturnedhishead。Whenhesawtheboy，hissmilewassweptawayinwavesofsurprise，amazement，anddisbelief。Thesewerefollowedinstantlybyanexpressionofthemostacutealarm。"Don’tpointthatthingatme！"shoutedthestranger。"Isitloaded？"Withhischeekpressedtothestockandhiseyesquinteddownthelengthofthebrownbarrel，Jimmienodded。Thestrangerflunguphisopenpalms。Theyaccentedhisexpressionofamazedincredulity。Heseemedtobeexclaiming，"Cansuchthingsbe？"

"Getup！"commandedJimmie。

Withalacritythestrangerrose。

"Walkoverthere，"orderedthescout。"Walkbackward。Stop！Takeoffthosefield—glassesandthrowthemtome。"Withoutremovinghiseyesfromthegunthestrangerliftedthebinocularsfromhisneckandtossedthemtothestonewall。"Seehere！"hepleaded，"ifyou’llonlypointthatdamnedblunderbusstheotherway，youcanhavetheglasses，andmywatch，andclothes，andallmymoney；onlydon’t——"

Jimmieflushedcrimson。"Youcan’tbribeme，"hegrowled。Atleast，hetriedtogrowl，butbecausehisvoicewaschanging，orbecausehewasexcitedthegrowlendedinahighsqueak。Withmortification，Jimmieflushedadeepercrimson。Butthestrangerwasnotamused。AtJimmie’swordsheseemedratherthemoreamazed。

"I’mnottryingtobribeyou，"heprotested。"Ifyoudon’twantanything，whyareyouholdingmeup？"

"I’mnot，"returnedJimmie，"I’marrestingyou！"

Thestrangerlaughedwithrelief。Againhiseyessmiled。"Oh，"hecried，"Isee！HaveIbeentrespassing？"

WithaglanceJimmiemeasuredthedistancebetweenhimselfandthestranger。Reassured，heliftedonelegaftertheotheroverthewall。"Ifyoutrytorushme，"hewarned，"I’llshootyoufullofbuckshot。"

ThestrangertookahastystepBACKWARD。"Don’tworryaboutthat，"heexclaimed。"I’llnotrushyou。WhyamIarrested？"

Huggingtheshotgunwithhisleftarm，Jimmiestoppedandliftedthebinoculars。Hegavethemaswiftglance，slungthemoverhisshoulder，andagainclutchedhisweapon。Hisexpressionwasnowsternandmenacing。

"Thenameonthem"heaccused，"is’Weiss，Berlin。’Isthatyourname？"Thestrangersmiled，butcorrectedhimself，andrepliedgravely，"That’sthenameofthefirmthatmakesthem。"

Jimmieexclaimedintriumph。"Hah！"hecried，"madeinGermany！"

Thestrangershookhishead。

"Idon’tunderstand，"hesaid。"WhereWOULDaWeissglassbemade？"Withpoliteinsistenceherepeated，"WouldyoumindtellingmewhyIamarrested，andwhoyoumighthappentobe？"

Jimmiedidnotanswer。Againhestoopedandpickedupthemap，andashedidso，forthefirsttimethefaceofthestrangershowedthathewasannoyed。Jimmiewasnotathomewithmaps。

Theytoldhimnothing。Butthepencilednotesonthisonemadeeasyreading。Athisfirstglancehesaw，"Correctrange，1，800

yards"；"thisstreamnotfordable"；"slopeofhill15degreesinaccessibleforartillery。""Wireentanglementshere"；"forageforfivesquadrons。"

Jimmie’seyesflashed。Heshovedthemapinsidehisshirt，andwiththegunmotionedtowardthebaseofthehill。"Keepfortyfeetaheadofme，"hecommanded，"andwalktoyourcar。"Thestrangerdidnotseemtohearhim。Hespokewithirritation。

"Isuppose，"hesaid，"I’llhavetoexplaintoyouaboutthatmap。"

"Nottome，youwon’t，"declaredhiscaptor。"You’regoingtodrivestraighttoJudgeVanVorst’s，andexplaintoHIM！"

Thestrangertossedhisarmsevenhigher。"ThankGod！"heexclaimedgratefully。

WithhisprisonerJimmieencounterednofurthertrouble。Hemadeawillingcaptive。AndifincoveringthefivemilestoJudgeVanVorst’sheexceededthespeedlimit，thefactthatfromtherearseatJimmieheldtheshotgunagainstthebaseofhisskullwasanextenuatingcircumstance。

Theyarrivedinthenickoftime。InhisowncaryoungVanVorstandabagofgolfclubswerejustdrawingawayfromthehouse。

Seeingthecarclimbingthesteepdrivewaythatforahalf—mileledfromhislodgetohisfrontdoor，andseeingJimmiestandinginthetonneaubrandishingagun，theJudgehastilydescended。

Thesightofthespyhunterfilledhimwithmisgiving，butthesightofhimgaveJimmiesweetrelief。ArrestingGermanspiesforasmallboyisnoeasytask。ForJimmiethestrainwasgreat。Andnowthatheknewhehadsuccessfullydeliveredhimintothehandsofthelaw，Jimmie’sheartrosewithhappiness。Theaddedpresenceofabutlerofmagnificentbearingandofanathleticlookingchauffeurincreasedhissenseofsecurity。Theirpresenceseemedtoaffordafeelingofsecuritytotheprisoneralso。Ashebroughtthecartoahalt，hebreathedasigh。Itwasasighofdeeprelief。

Jimmiefellfromthetonneau。Inconcealinghissenseoftriumph，hewasnotentiretysuccessful。

"Igothim！"hecried。"Ididn’tmakenomistakeaboutTHISone！"

"Whatone？"demandedVanVorst。

Jimmiepointeddramaticallyathisprisoner。Withananxiousexpressionthestrangerwastenderlyfingeringthebackofhishead。Heseemedtowishtoassurehimselfthatitwasstillthere。

"THATone！"criedJimmie。"He’saGermanspy！"

ThepatienceofJudgeVanVorstfellfromhim。Inhisexclamationwasindignation，anger，reproach。

"Jimmie！"hecried。

Jimmiethrustintohishandthemap。Itwashis"ExhibitA。"

"Lookwhathe’swrote，"commandedthescout。"It’sallmilitarywords。Andthesearehisglasses。Itook’emoffhim。They’remadeinGERMANY！Ibeenstalkinghimforaweek。He’saspy！"

WhenJimmiethrustthemapbeforehisface，VanVorsthadglancedatit。Thenheregardeditmoreclosely。Asheraisedhiseyestheyshowedthathewaspuzzled。

Buthegreetedtheprisonerpolitely。

"I’mextremelysorryyou’vebeenannoyed，"hesaid。"I’monlygladit’snoworse。Hemighthaveshotyou。He’smadovertheideathateverystrangerhesees——"

Theprisonerquicklyinterrupted。

"Please！"hebegged，"Don’tblametheboy。Hebehavedextremelywell。MightIspeakwithyou——ALONE？"heasked。

JudgeVanVorstledthewayacrosstheterrace，andtothesmoking—room，thatservedalsoashisoffice，andclosedthedoor。Thestrangerwalkeddirectlytothemantelpieceandputhisfingeronagoldcup。

"IsawyourmarewinthatatBelmontPark，"hesaid。"Shemusthavebeenagreatlosstoyou？"

"Shewas，"saidVanVorst。"Theweekbeforeshebrokeherback，I

refusedthreethousandforher。Willyouhaveacigarette？"

Thestrangerwavedasidethecigarettes。

"Ibroughtyouinside，"hesaid，"becauseIdidn’twantyourservantstohear；andbecauseIdon’twanttohurtthatboy’sfeelings。He’safineboy；andhe’sadamnedcleverscout。IknewhewasfollowingmeandIthrewhimofftwice，butto—dayhecaughtmefair。IfIreallyhadbeenaGermanspy，Icouldn’thavegotawayfromhim。AndIwanthimtothinkhehascapturedaGermanspy。Becausehedeservesjustasmuchcreditasthoughhehad，andbecauseit’sbestheshouldn’tknowwhomheDID

capture。"

VanVorstpointedtothemap。"Mybetis，"hesaid，"thatyou’reanofficeroftheStatemilitia，takingnotesforthefallmanoeuvres。AmIright？"

Thestrangersmiledinapproval，butshookhishead。

"You’rewarm，"hesaid，"butit’smoreseriousthanmanoeuvres。

It’stheRealThing。"Fromhispocketbookhetookavisitingcardandlaiditonthetable。"I’m’Sherry’McCoy，"hesaid，"CaptainofArtilleryintheUnitedStatesArmy。"Henoddedtothehandtelephoneonthetable。

"YoucancallupGovernor’sIslandandgetGeneralWoodorhisaide，CaptainDorey，onthephone。Theysentmehere。AskTHEM。

I’mnotpickingoutgunsitesfortheGermans；I’mpickingoutpositionsofdefenseforAmericanswhentheGermanscome！"

VanVorstlaughedderisively。

"Myword！"heexclaimed。"You’reasbadasJimmie！"

CaptainMcCoyregardedhimwithdisfavor。

"Andyou，sir，"heretorted，"areasbadasninetymillionotherAmericans。YouWON’Tbelieve！WhentheGermansareshellingthishill，whenthey’retakingyourhunterstopulltheircook—wagons，maybe，you’llbelieveTHEN。"

"Areyouserious？"demandedVanVorst。"Andyouanarmyofficer？"

"That’swhyIamserious，"returnedMcCoy。"WEknow。Butwhenwetrytoprepareforwhatiscoming，wemustdoitsecretly——inunderhandways，forfearthenewspaperswillgetholdofitandridiculeus，andaccuseusoftryingtodragthecountryintowar。That’swhywehavetoprepareundercover。That’swhyI’vehadtoskulkaroundthesehillslikeachickenthief。And，"headdedsharply，"that’swhythatboymustnotknowwhoIam。Ifhedoes，theGeneralStaffwillgetacallingdownatWashington，andI’llhavemyearsboxed。"

VanVorstmovedtothedoor。

"Hewillneverlearnthetruthfromme，"hesaid。"ForIwilltellhimyouaretobeshotatsunrise。"

"Good！"laughedtheCaptain。"Andtellmehisname。IfeverwefightoverWestchesterCounty，Iwantthatladformychiefofscouts。Andgivehimthis。Tellhimtobuyanewscoutuniform。

Tellhimitcomesfromyou。"

ButnomoneycouldreconcileJimmietothesentenceimposeduponhiscaptive。Hereceivedthenewswithahowlofanguish。"Youmustn’t，"hebegged；"Ineverknowedyou’dshoothim！Iwouldn’thavecaughthim，ifI’dknowedthat。Icouldn’tsleepifI

thoughthewasgoingtobeshotatsunrise。"AttheprospectofunendingnightmaresJimmie’svoiceshookwithterror。"Makeitfortwentyyears，"hebegged。"Makeitforten，"hecoaxed，"but，please，promiseyouwon’tshoothim。"

WhenVanVorstreturnedtoCaptainMcCoy，hewassmiling，andthebutlerwhofollowed，bearingatrayandtinklingglasses，wastryingnottosmile。

"IgaveJimmieyourtendollars，"saidVanVorst，"andmadeittwenty，andhehasgonehome。Youwillbegladtohearthathebeggedmetospareyourlife，andthatyoursentencehasbeencommutedtotwentyyearsinafortress。Idrinktoyourgoodfortune。"

"No！"protestedCaptainMcCoy，"WewilldrinktoJimmie！"

WhenCaptainMcCoyhaddrivenaway，andhisowncarandthegolfclubshadagainbeenbroughttothesteps，JudgeVanVorstoncemoreattemptedtodepart；buthewasagaindelayed。

Othervisitorswerearriving。

Upthedrivewayatouring—carapproached，andthoughitlimpedonaflattire，itapproachedatrecklessspeed。Thetwomeninthefrontseatwerewhitewithdust；theirfaces，maskedbyautomobileglasses，wereindistinguishable。Asthoughpreparingforanimmediateexit，thecarswunginacircleuntilitsnosepointeddownthedrivewayupwhichithadjustcome。RaisinghissilkmasktheonebesidethedrivershoutedatJudgeVanVorst。

Histhroatwasparched，hisvoicewashoarseandhotwithanger。

"Agraytouring—car，"heshouted。"Itstoppedhere。Wesawitfromthathill。Thenthedamntireburst，andwelostourway。

Wheredidhego？"

"Who？"demandedVanVorst，stiffly，"CaptainMcCoy？"

Themanexplodedwithanoath。Thedriverwithashoveofhiselbow，silencedhim。

"Yes，CaptainMcCoy，"assentedthedrivereagerly。"Whichwaydidhego？"

"ToNewYork，"saidVanVorst。

Thedrivershriekedathiscompanion。

"Then，he’sdoubledback，"hecried。"He’sgonetoNewHaven。"Hestoopedandthrewintheclutch。Thecarlurchedforward。

AcoldterrorsweptyoungVanVorst。

"Whatdoyouwantwithhim？"hecalled"Whoareyou？"

Overoneshoulderthemaskedfaceglaredathim。Abovetheroarofthecarthewordsofthedriverwereflungback。"We’reSecretServicefromWashington，"heshouted。"He’sfromtheirembassy。

He’saGermanspy！"

Leapingandthrobbingatsixtymilesanhour，thecarvanishedinacurtainofwhite，whirlingdust。

Chapter9。THECARD—SHARP

IhadlookedforwardtospendingChristmaswithsomepeopleinSuffolk，andeveryoneinLondonassuredmethatattheirhousetherewouldbethekindofaChristmashousepartyyouhearaboutbutseeonlyintheillustratedChristmasnumbers。Theypromisedmistletoe，snapdragon，andSirRogerdeCoverley。OnChristmasmorningwewouldwalktochurch，afterluncheonwewouldshoot，afterdinnerwewouldeatplumpuddingfloatinginblazingbrandy，dancewiththeservants，andlistentothewaitssinging"Godrestyou，merrygentlemen，letnothingyoudismay。"

ToaloneAmericanbachelorstrandedinLondonitsoundedfine。

AndinmygratitudeIhadalreadyshippedtomyhostess，forherchildren，ofwhoseage，number，andsexIwasignorant，halfofGamage’sdolls，skees，andcricketbats，andthosecrackersthat，whenyoupullthem，sometimesexplode。Butitwasnottobe。Mostinconsideratelymywealthiestpatientgainedsufficientcouragetoconsenttoanoperation，andinallNewYorkwouldpermitnoonetolayviolenthandsuponhimsavemyself。BycableIadvisedpostponement。Havinglivedinlawfulharmonywithhisappendixforfiftyyears，Ithought，foroneweeklongerhemightsafelymaintainthestatusquo。Buthiscableinreplywasanultimatum。So，onChristmaseve，insteadofHallamHallandaYulelog，IwasinagaleplungingandpitchingoffthecoastofIreland，andtheonlylogonboardwastheonethecaptainkepttohimself。

Isatinthesmoking—room，depressedandcross，anditmusthavebeenontheprinciplethatmiserylovescompanythatI

foregatheredwithTalbot，orratherthatTalbotforegatheredwithme。Certainty，underhappierconditionsandinhauntsofmenmorecrowded，theopen—facedmannerinwhichheforcedhimselfuponmewouldhaveputmeonmyguard。But，eitheroutofdeferencetotheholidayspirit，asmanifestedinthefictitiousgayetyofourfewfellow—passengers，orbecausetheyoungmaninaknowing，impertinentwaywasmostamusing，Ilistenedtohimfromdinnertimeuntilmidnight，whenthechiefofficer，hungwithsnowandicicles，wasblowninfromthedeckandwishedallamerryChristmas。

EvenaftertheyunmaskedTalbotIhadneithertheheartnortheinclinationtoturnhimdown。Indeed，hadnotsomeofthepassengerstestifiedthatIbelongedtoadifferentprofession，thesmoking—roomcrowdwouldhavequarantinedmeashisaccomplice。OnthefirstnightImethimIwasnotcertainwhetherhewasEnglishorgivinganimitation。AlltheoutwardandvisiblesignswereEnglish，buthetoldmethat，thoughhehadbeeneducatedatOxfordandsincethenhadspentmostofhisyearsinIndia，playingpolo，hewasanAmerican。Heseemedtohavespentmuchtime，andaccordingtohimselfmuchmoney，attheFrenchwatering—placesandontheRiviera。IfeltsurethatitwasinFranceIhadalreadyseenhim，butwhereIcouldnotrecall。Hewashardtoplace。OfpeopleathomeandinLondonwellworthknowinghetalkedglibly，butinspeakingofthemhemadeseveralslips。Itwashistakingthetroubletocoveruptheslipsthatfirstmademewonderifhistalkingabouthimselfwasnotmerevanity，buthadsomespecialobject。Ifelthewaspresentinglettersofintroductioninorderthatlaterhemightaskafavor。Whetherhewasleadinguptoanimmediateloan，orinNewYorkwouldaskforacardtoaclub，oranintroductiontoabanker，Icouldnottell。Butinforcinghimselfuponme，exceptinself—interest，Icouldthinkofnoothermotive。ThenexteveningIdiscoveredthemotive。

Hewasinthesmoking—roomplayingsolitaire，andatonceI

recalledthatitwasatAix—les—BainsIhadfirstseenhim，andthatheheldabankatbaccarat。WhenheaskedmetositdownI

said："IsawyoulastsummeratAix—les—Bains。"

Hiseyesfelltothepackinhishandsandapparentlysearcheditforsomeparticularcard。

"WhatwasIdoing？"heasked。

"DealingbaccaratattheCasinodesFleurs。"

Withobviousreliefhelaughed。

"Oh，yes，"heassented；"jollyplace，Aix。ButIlostapotofmoneythere。I’marottenhandatcards。Can’twin，andcan’tleave’emalone。"Asthoughforthisweakness，sofranklyconfessed，hebeggedmetoexcusehim，hesmiledappealingly。

"Poker，bridge，chemindefer，Ilike’emall，"herattledon，"buttheydon’tlikeme。SoIsticktosolitaire。It’sdull，butcheap。"Heshuffledthecardsclumsily。Asthoughmakingconversation，heasked："Youcareforcardsyourself？"

ItoldhimtruthfullyIdidnotknowthedifferencebetweenaclubandaspadeandhadnocuriositytolearn。Atthis，whenhefoundhehadbeenwastingtimeonme，Iexpectedhimtoshowsomesignofannoyance，evenofirritation，buthisdisappointmentstruckfardeeper。AsthoughIhadhurthimphysically，heshuthiseyes，andwhenagainheopenedthemIsawinthemdistress。

ForthemomentIbelieveofmypresencehewasutterlyunconscious。Hishandslayidleuponthetable；likeamanfacingacrisis，hestaredbeforehim。Quiteimproperly，Ifeltsorryforhim。Inmehethoughthehadfoundavictim；andthatthelossofthefewdollarshemighthavewonshouldsodeeplydisturbhimshowedhisneedwasgreat。AlmostatonceheabandonedmeandIwentondeck。WhenIreturnedanhourlatertothesmoking—roomhewasdeepinagameofpoker。

AsIpassedhehailedmegayly。

"Don’tscold，now，"helaughed；"youknowIcan’tkeepawayfromit。"

Fromhismannerthoseatthetablemighthavesupposedwewerefriendsoflongandhappycompanionship。Istoppedbehindhischair，buthethoughtIhadpassed，andinreplytooneoftheplayersanswered："Knownhimforyears；he’ssetmerightmanyatime。WhenIbrokemyrightfemur’chasin，’hegotmebackinthesaddleinsixweeks。Allmypeopleswearbyhim。"

Oneoftheplayerssmiledupatme，andTalbotturned。Buthiseyesmetminewithperfectserenity。Heevenhelduphiscardsformetosee。"Whatwouldyoudraw？"heasked。

HisaudacitysoastonishedmethatinsilenceIcouldonlystareathimandwalkon。

Whenondeckhemetmehewasnotevenapologetic。Instead，asthoughwewerepartnersincrime，hechuckleddelightedly。

"Sorry，"hesaid。"Hadtodoit。Theyweren’tverykeenatmytakingahand，soIhadtouseyourname。ButI’mallrightnow，"

heassuredme。"Theythinkyouvouchedforme，andto—nightthey’regoingtoraisethelimit。I’veconvincedthemI’maneasymark。"

"AndItakeityouarenot，"Isaidstiffly。

Heconsideredthisunworthyofananswerandonlysmiled。Thenthesmiledied，andagaininhiseyesIsawdistress，infiniteweariness，andfear。

Asthoughhisthoughtsdrovehimtoseekprotection，hecamecloser。

"I’m’inbad，’doctor，"hesaid。Hisvoicewasfrightened，bewildered，likethatofachild。"Ican’tsleep；nervesallontheloose。Idon’tthinkstraight。Ihearvoices，andnoonearound。Ihearknockingsatthedoor，andwhenIopenit，noonethere。IfIdon’tkeepfitIcan’twork，andthistripIgottomakeexpenses。Youcouldn’thelpme，couldyou——couldn’tgivemesomethingtokeepmyheadstraight？"

Theneedofmykeepinghisheadstraightthathemighttheeasierrobourfellow—passengersraisedaprettyquestionofethics。I

meanlydodgedit。ItoldhimprofessionaletiquetterequiredI

shouldleavehimtotheship’ssurgeon。

"ButIdon’tknowHIM，"heprotested。

Mindfuloftheusehehadmadeofmyname，Iobjectedstrenuously：

"Well，youcertainlydon’tknowme。"

Myresentmentobviouslypuzzledhim。

"IknowwhoyouARE，"hereturned。"YouandI——"Withadeprecatorygesture，asthoughgoodtasteforbadehimsayingwhowewere，hestopped。"Buttheship’ssurgeon！"heprotested，"he’sanawfulbounder！Besides，"headdedquitesimply，"he’swatchingme。"

"Asadoctor，"Iasked，"orwatchingyouplaycards？"

"Playcards，"theyoungmananswered。"I’mafraidhewasship’ssurgeonontheP。&O。Icamehomeon。Therewastroublethatvoyage，andIfancyheremembersme。"

Hisconfidenceswerebecominganuisance。

"Butyoumustn’ttellmethat，"Iprotested。"Ican’thaveyoumakingtroubleonthisship，too。HowdoyouknowIwon’tgostraightfromheretothecaptain？"

Asthoughthesuggestiongreatlyentertainedhim，helaughed。

Hemadeamockobeisance。

"Iclaimthesealofyourprofession，"hesaid。"Nonsense，"I

retorted。"It’saprofessionalsecretthatyournervesareoutofhand，butthatyouareacard—sharpisNOT。Don’tmixmeupwithapriest。"

ForamomentTalbot，asthoughfearinghehadgonetoofar，lookedatmesharply；hebithislowerlipandfrowned。

"Igottomakeexpenses，"hemuttered。"And，besides，allcardgamesaregamesofchance，andacard—sharpisoneofthechances。Anyway，"herepeated，asthoughdisposingofallargument，"Igottomakeexpenses。"

Afterdinner，whenIcametothesmoking—room，thepokerpartysatwaiting，andoneofthemaskedifIknewwheretheycouldfind"myfriend。"IshouldhavesaidthenthatTalbotwasasteameracquaintanceonly；butIhatearow，andIletthechancepass。

"Wewanttogivehimhisrevenge，"oneofthemvolunteered。

"He’slosing，then？"Iasked。

Themanchuckledcomplacently。

"Theonlyloser，"hesaid。

"Iwouldn’tworry，"Iadvised。"He’llcomeforhisrevenge。"

ThatnightafterIhadturnedinheknockedatmydoor。I

switchedonthelightsandsawhimstandingatthefootofmyberth。Isawalsothatwithdifficultyhewasholdinghimselfinhand。

"I’mscared，"hestammered，"scared！"

Iwroteoutarequisitiononthesurgeonforasleeping—potionandsentittohimbythesteward，givingthemantounderstandI

wanteditformyself。Uninvited，Talbothadseatedhimselfonthesofa。Hiseyeswereclosed，andasthoughhewerecoldhewasshiveringandhugginghimselfinhisarms。

"Haveyoubeendrinking？"Iasked。

Insurpriseheopenedhiseyes。

"Ican’tdrink，"heansweredsimply。"It’snervesandworry。I’mtired。"

Herelaxedagainstthecushions；hisarmsfellheavilyathissides；thefingerslayopen。

"God，"hewhispered，"howtiredIam！"

Inspiteofhistan——andcertainlyhehadledtheout—of—doorlife——hisfaceshowedwhite。Forthemomenthelookedold，worn，finished。

"They’recrowdin’me，"theboywhispered。"They’realwayscrowdin’me。"Hisvoicewasquerulous，uncomprehending，likethatofachildcomplainingofsomethingbeyondhisexperience。

"Ican’trememberwhentheyhaven’tbeencrowdin’me。Movin’meon，youunderstand？Alwaysmovin’meon。MovedmeoutofIndia，thenCairo，thentheyclosedParis，andnowthey’veshutmeoutofLondon。Iopenedaclubthere，veryquiet，veryexclusive，smartneighborhood，too——aflatinBerkeleyStreet——rouletteandchemindefer。Ithinkitwasmyvaletsoldmeout；anyway，theycameinandtookusalltoBowStreet。SoI’veplungedonthis。

It’smylastchance！"

"Thistrip？"

"No；myfamilyinNewYork。Haven’tseen’emintenyears。Theypaidmetoliveabroad。I’mgamblingonTHEM；gamblingontheirtakin’meback。I’mcominghomeastheProdigalSon，tiredoffillingmybellywiththehusksthattheswinedoeat；reformedcharacter，repentantandallthat；wanttofollowthestraightandnarrow；andthey’llkillthefattedcalf。"Helaughedsardonically。"Likehelltheywill！They’dratherseeMEkilled。"

Itseemedtome，ifhewishedhisfamilytobelievehewerereturningrepentant，hiscourseinthesmoking—roomwouldnothelptoreassurethem。Isuggestedasmuch。

"Ifyougetinto’trouble，’asyoucallit，"Isaid，"andtheysendawirelesstothepolicetobeatthewharf，yourpeoplewouldhardly——"

"Iknow，"heinterrupted；"butIgottochancethat。IGOTtomakeenoughtogoonwith——untilIseemyfamily。"

"Iftheywon’tseeyou？"Iasked。"Whatthen？"

Heshruggedhisshouldersandsighedlightly，almostwithrelief，asthoughforhimtheprospectheldnoterror。

"Thenit’s’Good—night，nurse，’"hesaid。"AndIwon’tbeabothertoanybodyanymore。"

Itoldhimhisnervesweretalking，andtalkingrot，andIgavehimthesleeping—draftandsenthimtobed。

ItwasnotuntilafterluncheonthenextdaywhenhemadehisfirstappearanceondeckthatIagainsawmypatient。HewasoncemoreahealthypictureofayoungEnglishmanofleisure；keen，smart，andfit；readyforanyexerciseorsport。TheparticularsportatwhichhewassoexpertIaskedhimtoavoid。

"Can’tbedone！"heassuredme。"I’mtheloser，andwedockto—morrowmorning。SotonightI’vegottomakemykilling。"

Itwastheotherswhomadethekilling。

Icameintothesmoking—roomaboutnineo’clock。Talbotalonewasseated。Theotherswereontheirfeet，andbehindtheminawidersemicirclewerepassengers，thesmoking—roomstewardsandtheship’spurser。

Talbotsatwithhisbackagainstthebulkhead，hishandsinthepocketsofhisdinnercoat；fromthecornerofhismouthhislongcigarette—holderwascockedatanimpudentangle。Therewasatumultofangryvoices，andtheeyesofallwereturneduponhim。

Outwardlyatleasthemetthemwithcompleteindifference。Thevoiceofoneofmycountrymen，anoisypestnamedSmedburg，wasraisedinexcitedaccusation。

"Whentheship’ssurgeonfirstmetyou，"hecried，"youcalledyourselfLordRidley。"

"I’llcallmyselfanythingIjollywelllike，"returnedTalbot。

"IfIchoosetododgereporters，that’smypidgin。Idon’thavetogivemynametoeverymeddlingbusybodythat——"

"You’llgiveittothepolice，allright，"chortledMr。Smedburg。

Intheconfident，bullyingtonesofthemanwhoknowsthecrowdiswithhim，heshouted："Andinthemeantimeyou’llkeepoutofthissmoking—room！"

Thechorusofassentwasunanimous。Itcouldnotbedisregarded。

Talbotroseandwithfastidiousconcernbrushedthecigaretteashesfromhissleeve。Ashemovedtowardthedoorhecalledback："Onlytoodelightedtokeepout。Thecrowdinthisroommakesagentlemanfeellonely。"

Buthewasnottoescapewiththelastword。

Hisprosecutorpointedhisfingerathim。

"AndthenexttimeyoutakethenameofAdolphMeyer，"heshouted，"makesurefirsthehasn’tafriendonboard；someonetoprotecthimfromsharpersandswindlers——"

Talbotturnedsavagelyandthenshruggedhisshoulders。

"Oh，gotothedevil！"hecalled，andwalkedoutintothenight。

Thepurserwasstandingatmysideand，catchingmyeye，shookhishead。

"Badbusiness，"heexclaimed。

"Whathappened？"Iasked。

"I’mtoldtheycaughthimdealingfromthewrongendofthepack，"hesaid。"Iunderstandtheysuspectedhimfromthefirst——seemsoursurgeonrecognizedhim——andto—nighttheyhadoutsiderswatchinghim。Theoutsidersclaimtheysawhimsliphimselfanacefromthebottomofthepack。It’sapity！He’sanice—lookinglad。"

IaskedwhattheexcitedSmedburghadmeantbytellingTalbotnottocallhimselfMeyer。

"Theyaccusedhimoftravellingunderafalsename，"explainedthepurser，"andhetold’emhedidittododgetheship’snewsreporters。ThenhesaidhereallywasabrotherofAdolphMeyer，thebanker；butitseemsSmedburgisafriendofMeyer’s，andhecalledhimhard！Itwasasillyassthingtodo，"protestedthepurser。"EverybodyknowsMeyerhasn’tabrother，andifhehadn’tmadeTHATbreakhemighthavegotawaywiththeotherone。ButnowthisSmedburgisgoingtowirelessaheadtoMr。Meyerandtothepolice。"

"Hashenootherwayofspendinghismoney？"Iasked。

"He’saconfoundednuisance！"growledthepurser。"HewantstoshowusheknowsAdolphMeyer；wantstoputMeyerunderanobligation。Itmeansasceneonthewharf，andnewspapertalk；

and，"headdedwithdisgust，"thesesmoking—roomrowsneverhelpedanyline。"

IwentinsearchofTalbot；partlybecauseIknewhewasonthevergeofacollapse，partly，asIfranklyadmittedtomyself，becauseIwassorrytheyoungmanhadcometogrief。Isearchedthesnow—sweptdecks，andthen，afterthreadingmywaythroughfaintlylittunnels，Iknockedathiscabin。Thesoundofhisvoicegavemeadistinctfeelingofrelief。Buthewouldnotadmitme。Throughthecloseddoorhedeclaredhewas"allright，"

wantednomedicaladvice，andaskedonlytoresumethesleepheclaimedIhadbroken。Ilefthim，notwithoutuneasiness，andthenextmorningthesightofhimstillinthefleshwasagenuinethrill。Ifoundhimwalkingthedeckcarryinghimselfnonchalantlyandtryingtoappearunconsciousoftheglances——amused，contemptuous，hostile——thatwereturnedtowardhim。Hewouldhavepassedmewithoutspeaking，butItookhisarmandledhimtotherail。Wehadlongpassedquarantineandaconvoyoftugswerebuttingusintothedock。

"Whatareyougoingtodo？"Iasked。

"Doesn’tdependonme，"hesaid。"DependsonSmedburg。He’sabusylittlebody！"

Theboywantedmetothinkhimunconcerned，butbeneaththeflippancyIsawthenervesjerking。Thenquitesimplyhebegantotellme。Hespokeinalow，evenmonotone，dispassionately，asthoughforhimtheincidentnolongerwasofinterest。

"Theywerewatchingme，"hesaid。"ButIknewtheywere，andbesides，nomatterhowclosetheywatchedIcouldhavedonewhattheysaidIdidandthey’dneverhaveseenit。ButIdidn’t。"

Myscepticismmusthavebeenobvious，forheshookhishead。

"Ididn’t！"herepeatedstubbornly。"Ididn’thaveto！Iwasplayinginluck——wonderfulluck——sheer，dumbluck。Icouldn’tHELPwinning。ButbecauseIwaswinningandbecausetheywerewatching，Iwascarefulnottowinonmyowndeal。Ilaiddown，orplayedtolose。ItwasthecardstheyGAVEmeIwonwith。AndwhentheyjumpedmeItold’emthat。Icouldhaveproveditifthey’dlistened。Buttheywereallupintheair，shoutingandspittingatme。Theybelievedwhattheywantedtobelieve；theydidn’twantthefacts。"

Itmayhavebeencredulousofme，butIfelttheboywastellingthetruth，andIwasdeeplysorryhehadnotstucktoit。So，ratherharshly，Isaid：

"Theydidn’twantyoutotellthemyouwereabrothertoAdolphMeyer，either。Whydidyouthinkyoucouldgetawaywithanythinglikethat？"

Talbotdidnotanswer。

"Why？"Iinsisted。

Theboylaughedimpudently。

"HowthedevilwasItoknowhehadn’tabrother？"heprotested。

"Itwasagoodname，andhe’saJew，andtwoofthesixwhowereinthegameareJews。Youknowhowtheysticktogether。Ithoughttheymightstickbyme。"

"Butyou，"Iretortedimpatiently，"arenotaJew！"

"Iamnot，"saidTalbot，"butI’veoftenSAIDIwas。It’shelped——lotsoftimes。IfI’dtoldyoumynamewasCohen，orSelinsky，orMeyer，insteadofCraigTalbot，YOU’DhavethoughtIwasaJew。"Hesmiledandturnedhisfacetowardme。Asthoughfurnishingadescriptionforthepolice，hebegantoenumerate：

"Hair，darkandcurly；eyes，poppy；lips，full；nose，RomanorHebraic，accordingtotaste。Doyousee？"

Heshruggedhisshoulders。

"Butitdidn’twork，"heconcluded。"IpickedthewrongJew。"

Hisfacegrewserious。"DoyousupposethatSmedburgpersonhaswirelessedthatbanker？"

ItoldhimIwasafraidhehadalreadysentthemessage。

"AndwhatwillMeyerdo？"heasked。"Willhedropitormakeafuss？Whatsortishe？"

BrieflyIdescribedAdolphMeyer。IexplainedhimastherichestHebrewinNewYork；giventocharity，tophilanthropy，tothebettermentofhisownrace。

"Thenmaybe，"criedTalbothopefully，"hewon’tmakearow，andmyfamilywon’thearofit！"

Hedrewaquickbreathofrelief。Asthoughaburdenhadbeenlifted，hisshouldersstraightened。

Andthensuddenly，harshly，inopenpanic，heexclaimedaloud：

"Look！"hewhispered。"There，attheendofthewharf——thelittleJewinfurs！"

Ifollowedthedirectionofhiseyes。Belowusonthedock，protectedbytwoobviousmembersofthestrong—armsquad，thegreatbanker，philanthropist，andHebrew，AdolphMeyer，waswaiting。

WeweresoclosethatIcouldreadhisface。Itwasstern，set；

thefaceofamanintentuponhisduty，unrelenting。Withoutquestion，ofabadbusinessMr。Smedburghadmadetheworst。I

turnedtospeaktoTalbotandfoundhimgone。

Hissilentslippingawayfilledmewithalarm。Ifoughtagainstagrowingfear。HowmanyminutesIsearchedforhimIdonotknow。

Itseemedmanyhours。Hiscabin，wherefirstIsoughthim，wasemptyanddismantled，andbythatIwasremindedthatifforanydesperatepurposeTalbotwereseekingtoconcealhimselftherenowwerehundredsofotherempty，dismantledcabinsinwhichhemighthide。Tomyinquiriesnoonegaveheed。Intheconfusionofdeparturenoonehadobservedhim；noonewasinahumortoseekhimout；thepassengerswerepressingtothegangway，thestewardsconcernedonlyincountingtheirtips。Fromdecktodeck，downlaneafterlaneofthegreatfloatingvillage，I

racedblindly，peeringintohalf—openeddoors，pushingthroughgroupsofmen，pursuingsomeoneinthedistancewhoappearedtobethemanIsought，onlytofindhewasunknowntome。WhenI

returnedtothegangwaythelastofthepassengerswasleavingit。

IwasabouttofollowtoseekforTalbotinthecustomsshedwhenawhite—facedstewardtouchedmysleeve。BeforehespokehislooktoldmewhyIwaswanted。

"Theship’ssurgeon，sir，"hestammered，"asksyoupleasetohurrytothesick—bay。Apassengerhasshothimself！"

Onthebed，proppedupbypillows，youngTalbot，withglazed，shockedeyes，staredatme。Hisshirthadbeencutaway；hischestlaybare。Againsthisleftshoulderthedoctorpressedatinyspongewhichquicklydarkened。

Imusthaveexclaimedaloud，forthedoctorturnedhiseyes。

"ItwasHEsentforyou，"hesaid，"buthedoesn’tneedyou。

Fortunately，he’sadamnedbadshot！"

Theboy’seyesopenedwearily；beforewecouldpreventithespoke。

"Iwassotired，"hewhispered。"Alwaysmovingmeon。Iwassotired！"

Behindmecameheavyfootsteps，andthoughwithmyarmItriedtobarthemout，thetwodetectivespushedintothedoorway。TheyshovedmetoonesideandthroughthepassagemadeforhimcametheJewinthesablecoat，Mr。AdolphMeyer。

Foraninstantthelittlegreatmanstoodwithwide，owl—likeeyes，staringatthefaceonthepillow。

Thenhesanksoftlytohisknees。Inbothhishandshecaughtthehandofthecard—sharp。

"Heine！"hebegged。"Don’tyouknowme？ItisyourbrotherAdolph；yourlittlebrotherAdolph！"