phenomena in the vicinity of Empire and Culebra. But please note
further; these expenditures may be only "for cab or boat hire,
meals away from home, and LIQUOR and CIGARS!" Plainly the "gum-
shoe" should be a bachelor.

Fortunately, however, the proprietor of the expense account is not
required personally to consume it each month. It is designed
rather to win the esteem of bar-tenders, loosen the tongues of
suspects, libate the thirsty stool-pigeon, and prime other
accepted sources of information. But beware! Exceeding care in
filling out the account of such expenditures at the month's end.
Carelessness leads a hunted life on the Canal Zone. Take, for
instance, the slight error of my friend--who, having made such
expenditure in Colon, by a slip of the pen, or to be nice, of the
typewriter, sent in among three score and ten items the following:

Feb. 4/ 2 bots beer; Cristobal........50c

and in the course of time found said voucher again on his desk
with a marginal note of mild-eyed wonder and more than idle
curiosity, in the handwriting of a man very high up indeed;

WHERE can you buy beer in Cristobal?

All this and more I learned in the swivel-chair waiting for
orders, reading the latest novel that had found its way to Ancon
station, and receiving frequent assurances that I should be quite
busy enough once I got started. Opposite sat Lieutenant Long
pouring choice bits of sub-station orders into the 'phone: