Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-10

that greed can carry too far and that jaw too widely open will sometimes lose bite; it takes too long to shut it. If had managed this business"- But here, apparently recollecting himself, he broke off and turned away with a little frown. But presently he resum- ed, wearing his accustomed good hu- mored expression. There was never any good came of Greek. I've known them upward of twenty years. and I never knew one that was fit for any thing save to jab you in the back when you were not looking"
 T should say" remarked Sheppard mildly. that you had very suitable gang for your purpose"
 Sercombe laughed. "Oh, i don't fan
 y the knife myself, though some peo- pie do."
 Sheppard turned deathly pale, but he smiled politely and Answered, There Is no knowing what scruples a man will develop"
 This turn of the conversation sud aenly woke me to sense of my errand, and quickly communicated my news to Sercombe.
 T thought we should come to this" he said cheerfully, "and I would have laid odds I should have had you here on this mission. knew you would drop that mealy mouthed righteous ness of yours. What disliked in you, Mir. Greatorex, from the outset, if may say so without offense, was your blamed British pharisaism You coul6n't look at job squarely. It's not your fault. but that of your train ing. I had the same defect once my self, but campaign in the Ionian isles knocked the. pretenses out of me That's how I came to know these scoundrels so well. We'll, I'm glad we meet evenly at last. You can see for yourself there's not penn'orth to choose between us, save that you've had first blood" and with that he look ed at Sheppard.
 This time Sheppard held his color under control, but he looked away, and l perceived, in spite of his severe re- straint, twitching of the nostrils.
 Come, come" said I. we must take what steps we may in self defense against cutthroats, captain"
 I'm with you there," said Sercombe cheerily, and the steps I usually take consist of a barker. shoot out of my coat tails as often as not My plan is to fire when 1 see squint."
 T fear you rebuke me-" I replied. with bow, but I swear that I would have fired if it had been any other place but London. am so well known there"
 Sercombe burst out laughing. T once thought" he said, that MT. Shep- pard was more my sort, but now I believe I pin my note on you.'
 You honor me" returned, but come to business"
 The captain plucked his long red mustache meditatively. I'm sorry I can't discuss this with you now, gen. tlemen," he said. After all, it's your affair. though I admit I have a certain interest in it. but if may come up and see you about o'clock we can go into details. I fancy its concerted plan we want"
 'That's so," returned. feeling ter ribly mean and small to be conspiring so against the laws of my country with an admitted scoundrel y.s
 "yery we'll; let us say g." said the captain and stuck out his hand as though to dismiss us. .-.
 For myself, being in the frame of mind have described, 1 contrived to overlook his arm. but Sheppard, all smiles. sprang forward and shook hlm heartily By the way" he said bright ly, ''and where is my friend Hood?'
 "Hoodr' echoed Sercombe and looked at us queerly. "0h, Mir. Hood is in- venting a new naneuver He is q bet ter soldier than am. is MT. Hood, nat urally." I suppose he saw that we ex- changed glances. My dear sirs," he said, Il only tell you what you might suppose for yourselves. Mir Hood is trying his hand at generalship, but I don't reveal his plan of campaign. Per haps you guess it." And he burst out rather unpleasaptly.
 It was obvious to both of us that there was a bitterness in Sercombe's words. Fallen though he was from a estate and sunk as he had become in career of dissipation and interruptions adventure. he still re- tained certain feeling of his own dig nifty. How far the difference between Hood and himself had gone I could not know. but If it went much further It seemed as though we might take some advantage out of it. But of the two it was Hood-Hood, with his lean black face-that I feared.
 sercombe kept his appointment with punctuality. entering our council chamber. if l may so describe the smaller of the halls in which we usually sat. with the jsuntiness of his mornings encounter. Lunch was but pewly over. and I felt myself descend Ia Montgomery's eyes when I offered he captain a glass of wine. He took It sirily. even with a kind of rude trace. which sometimes characterized him. and nodded us a good health. plunging at once into the matter of his risit
 You will excuse me. gentlemen ,an spare little time today. You will that I sm very busy this ~ith twinkling eye. But we must needs oblige a friend. and I am here ,ver dusty road to meet you
 We are xrsvely indebted to you