attention to such a big man as you and would report your movements. All
six would come on you in the dark and would kill you surely. Then, as
if that were not bad enough, having searched you they would learn that
the letter in your possession is not the right one; and the trail of
the right one would be that much easier to detect."

"Then come with me," said I, "and we'll make a night of it together.
You and I can defend ourselves against those six."

"Doubtless, sahib. But my place is within hail of Jimgrim. No, it is
best that you see this matter through tonight between four walls. Only
remember, sahib, that though a man on duty may feign sleep, it is wiser
not to, because sleep steals on us unawares!"

So I returned to the bedroom where Grim and Jeremy were snoring a
halleluja chorus; but Yussuf Dakmar hadn't returned yet. I took
advantage of the Syrian's absence to open Grim's valise, remove the
bottle of doped whisky and set it on the table close to the window
beside the two bottles that I had bought downstairs--one of which, for
the sake of appearances, I opened just as Yussuf Dakmar entered, smiling
to conceal anxiety.




CHAPTER X

"You made a bad break that time"