CHAPTER XIX


At twelve o'clock on a night late in the following week Captain
Shadrach, snoring gloriously in his bed, was awakened by his partner's
entering the room bearing a lighted lamp. The Captain blinked, raised
himself on his elbow, looked at his watch which was on the chair by the
bed's head, and then demanded in an outraged whisper:

"What in the nation are you prowlin' around this hour of the night
for? You don't want to talk about those divilish bills and credits and
things, I hope. What's the use? Talkin' don't help none! Jumpin' fire!
I went to bed so's to forget 'em and I was just beginnin' to do it. Now
you--"

Zoeth held up his hand. "Sshh! sshh!" he whispered. "Hush, Shadrach!
I didn't come to talk about those things. Shadrach, there's--there's
somethin' queer goin' on. Get up!"

The Captain was out of bed in a moment.

"What's the matter?" he demanded, in a whisper. "What's queer?"

"I--I don't exactly know. I heard somebody movin' downstairs and--"

Shadrach grunted. "Isaiah!" he exclaimed. "Walkin' in his sleep again,
I'll bet a dollar!"

"No, no! It ain't Isaiah. Isaiah ain't walked in his sleep since he was