gets results so much more quickly than turning the other cheek. At any
rate, I own up.

Yussuf Dakmar, smirking in anticipation of an easy victory, took the
nearest tumbler and tossed off the contents in imitation of Jeremy's
free and easy air; and the drug acted as swiftly as the famous "knock-
out-drops" they used to administer in the New York Tenderloin.

He knew what had happened before he lost consciousness, for he tried to
give the alarm to his friends. He lay on the floor opening and shutting
his mouth, and I think he believed he was shouting for help; but after
a minute or two you could hardly detect his breathing, and his face
changed colour as if he had been poisoned.

Grim didn't even trouble to get out of bed, but listened without comment
to my version of Narayan Singh's report, and Jeremy went back to sleep
chuckling; so I held a silent wake over Yussuf Dakmar, keeping some
more of the doped whisky ready in case he should look like recovering
too soon. I even searched him, finding nothing worthy of note, except
that he had remarkably little money. I expect the poor devil was a
penny ante villain scheming for a thousand-dollar jackpot. I felt
really sorry for him and turned him over with my boot to let him breathe
better.

A little before dawn I awakened Grim and Jeremy and we left the room
quietly after I had scratched on the closet door with my fingernails.
Pausing outside to listen, we heard the closet door being opened
stealthily from the far side. I caught Grim's eye, thinking he would
smile back, but he looked as deadly serious as I have ever seen him.