Part 24 (1/2)

Bethune grinned at d.i.c.k. ”It's not an unusual notice in some of our smaller towns, and one must admit it's necessary. However, we want to get him into dry clothes.”

Jake gave them some trouble, but they put him in a re-made bed and went back to the verandah, where Bethune sat down.

”Fuller has his good points, but I guess you find him something of a responsibility,” he remarked.

”I do,” said d.i.c.k, with feeling. ”Still, this is the first time he has come home the worse for liquor. I'm rather worried about it, because it's a new trouble.”

”And you had enough already?” Bethune suggested. ”Well, though you're not very old yet, I think Miss Fuller did well to make you his guardian, and perhaps I'm to blame for his relapse, because I sent him to Santa Brigida. Francois was busy and there were a number of bills to pay for stores we bought in the town. I hope Fuller hasn't lost the money!”

d.i.c.k felt disturbed, but he said, ”I don't think so. Jake's erratic, but he's surprised me by his prudence now and then.”

Bethune left soon afterwards, and d.i.c.k went to bed, but got up again after an hour or two and began his work without seeing Jake. They did not meet during the day, and d.i.c.k went home to his evening meal uncertain what line to take. He had no real authority, and finding Jake languid and silent, decided to say nothing about his escapade. When the meal was finished, they left the hot room, as usual, for the verandah, and Jake dropped listlessly into a canvas chair.

”I allow you're more tactful than I thought,” he remarked with a feeble smile. ”Guess I was pretty drunk last night.”

”It looked rather like it from your clothes and the upset in the house,”

d.i.c.k agreed.

Jake looked thoughtful. ”Well,” he said ingenuously, ”I _have_ been on a jag before, but I really don't often indulge in that kind of thing, and don't remember drinking enough to knock me out. You see, Kenwardine's a fastidious fellow and sticks to wine. The sort he keeps is light.”

”Then you got drunk at his house? I'd sooner have heard you were at the casino, where the Spaniards would have turned you out.”

”You don't know the worst yet,” Jake replied hesitatingly. ”As I'm in a very tight place, I'd better 'fess up. Francois doesn't seem to have told you that I tried to draw my pay for some months ahead.”

”Ah!” said d.i.c.k, remembering with uneasiness what he had learned from Bethune. ”That sounds ominous. Did you----”

”Let me get it over,” Jake interrupted. ”Richter was there, besides a Spanish fellow, and a man called Black. We'd been playing cards, and I'd won a small pile when my luck began to turn. It wasn't long before I was cleaned out and heavily in debt. Kenwardine said I'd had enough and had better quit. I sometimes think you don't quite do the fellow justice.”

”Never mind that,” said d.i.c.k. ”I suppose you didn't stop?”

”No; I took a drink that braced me up and soon afterwards thought I saw my chance. The cards looked pretty good, and I put up a big bluff and piled on all I had.”

”But you had nothing; you'd lost what you began with.”

Jake colored. ”Bethune had given me a check to bearer.”

”I was afraid of that,” d.i.c.k said gravely. ”But go on.”

”I thought I'd bluff them, but Black and the Spaniard told me to play, though Kenwardine held back at first. Said they didn't want to take advantage of my rashness and I couldn't make good. Well, I saw how I could put it over, and it looked as if they couldn't stop me, until Black brought out a trump I didn't think he ought to have. After that I don't remember much, but imagine I turned on the fellow and made some trouble.”

”Can you remember how the cards went?”

”No,” said d.i.c.k awkwardly, ”not now, and I may have been mistaken about the thing. I believe I fell over the table and they put me on a couch.

After a time, I saw there was n.o.body in the room, and thought I'd better get out.” He paused and added with a flush: ”I was afraid Miss Kenwardine might find me in the morning.”

”You can't pay back the money you lost?”

”I can't. The check will show in the works' accounts and there'll sure be trouble if the old man hears of it.”

d.i.c.k was silent for a few moments. It was curious that Jake had tried to defend Kenwardine; but this did not matter. The lad's anxiety and distress were plain.