The prince allowed his eyes to travel slowly round the circle
of the table. But the puzzled glances of the other players
showed that to them Peter's proposal conveyed no meaning.

The prince smiled cynically.

"For yourself?" he demanded.

"For Doctor Gilman," said Peter.

"We will cut for deal and one hand will decide," said the
prince. His voice dropped to a whisper. "And no one must ever
know," he warned.

Peter also could be cynical.

"Not even the Sultan," he said.

Abdul won the deal and gave himself a very good hand. But the
hand he dealt Peter was the better one.

The prince was a good loser. The next afternoon the GAZETTE
OFFICIALLY announced that upon Doctor Henry Gilman, professor
emeritus of the University of Stillwater, U. S. A., the
Sultan had been graciously pleased to confer the Grand Cross
of the Order of the Crescent.

Peter flashed the great news to Stetson. The cable caught him
at Quarantine. It read: "Captured Crescent, Grand Cross. Get
busy."