"I'll be smashed if you will--you'll never get the chance. When I let
a pretty girl make a fool of me--"

But the door of the dinkey slammed behind the outgoing one, and the
prophet of evil was left to organize his night assault on the
shale-slide, and to command it as best he could.

So, as we say, the days, days of stubborn toil with the enthusiasm
taken out, slipped away unfruitful. Of the entire Utah force Adams
alone held himself up to the mark, and being only second in command,
he was unable to keep the bad example of the chief from working like
a leaven of inertness among the men. Branagan voiced the situation in
rich brogue one evening when Adams had exhausted his limited
vocabulary of abuse on the force for its apathy. "'Tis no use, ava,
Misther Adams. If you was the boss himself 'twould be you as would put
the comether on thim too quick. But it's 'like masther, like mon.' The
b'ys all know that Misther Winton don't care a damn; and they'll not
be hurtin' thimselves wid the wurrk."

And the Rajah? Between his times of smoking high-priced cigars with
Winton in the lounging-room of the Rosemary, he was swearing Jubilates
in the privacy of his working-den state-room, having tri-daily weather
reports wired to him by way of Carbonate and Argentine station, and
busying himself in the intervals with sending and receiving sundry
mysterious telegrams in cipher.

Thus Mr. Somerville Darrah, all going well for him until one fateful
morning when he made the mistake of congratulating his ally. Then--but
we picture the scene: Mr. Darrah late to his breakfast, being just in
from an early-morning reconnaissance of the enemy's advancings;