like a falling-out among thieves. They reminded me of a group of
drunken women I had once seen, shameless and foul-mouthed, fighting in
the street, with grinning night-birds urging them on. I felt in some
way horribly responsible, as though they had dragged me into it--as
though the flying handfuls of mud had splattered me. And yet the thing
which inflamed me the most against them was their unfairness to Aiken.
They would not let him speak, and they would not see that they were so
many, and that he was alone. I did not then know that he was telling
the truth. Indeed, I thought otherwise. I did not then know that on
those occasions when he appeared to the worst advantage, he generally
was trying to tell the truth.

Captain Heinze pushed nearer, and shoved his fist close to Aiken's
face.

"We know what you are," he jeered. "We know you're no more on our side
than you're the American Consul. You lied to us about that, and you've
lied to us about everything else. And now we've caught you, and we'll
make you pay for it."

One of the men in the rear of the crowd shouted, "Ah, shoot the
beggar!" and others began to push forward and to jeer. Aiken heard
them and turned quite white.

"You've caught me?" Aiken stammered. "Why, I came here of my own will.
Is it likely I'd have done that if I had sold you out?"

"I tell you you did sell us out," Heinze roared. "And you're a coward
besides, and I tell you so to your face!" He sprang at Aiken, and
Aiken shrank back. It made me sick to see him do it. I had such a