Part 30 (1/2)
”There he goes,” he answered ”That man in the white suit with the round white topee is the collector”
So we three followed the collector to his office, arriving about two minutes after the man hinized me He had not stayed to hear the end
”Fines should be paid in the court, not here!” he intimated rudely
We wasted no tireeted us without obvious cordiality He did not ask us to sit down
”My friend here has coschen,”
said Fred
”I suppose you schen!”
The collector was a clean-shaven man with a blue jowl that suffered fro But he had photos of feminine relations and a little house in a dreary Midland street on his desk, and was no doubt loyal to the light he saished we had Monty with us One glimpse of the owner of a title that stands written in the Dooschen's culture
I rattled off what I had to say, telling the story from the moment I started to follow Hassan fro
”Schillingschen is worse than a spy He's a black-hearted, sche to upset British rule in this Protectorate and make it easy for the Germans to usurp!”
”This is nonsense!” the collector interrupted ”Professor Schillingschen is the honored friend of the British govern--letter of introduction froschen is one of the ists in the world to-day How dare you traduce hiasped ”You were there
You heard his evidence absolutely disproved How do you explain that away?”
”I don't attempt to! The explanation is for you to make!” he answered
”The fact that he did not succeed in proving his case against you is nothing in itself! Many a case in court is lost from lack of proper evidence! And one --or rather, I should say, was staying at the hotel She is now staying at my house She complains to me of very rude treatment at the hands of you three men--insolent treatet on in this Protectorate is not to behave like cads toward ladies of title! I understand that her ht alone by any one of you, and that Lady Saffren Waldon herself feels scarcely any safer!”
Fred and I saw the hu, and that enabled us to save Will from disaster There never was a et off the sidewalk for a black woh at the sort of stories that pass current about wo-rooms His hair bristled His ears stuck out on either side of his head He leaned forward--laid one strong brown hand on the desk--and shook his left fist under the collector's nose
”You poor boob!” he exploded Then he calhtest jewel it has for this job!
That Jane will use everything you've got except the squeal! Great suffering Jes by any chance? You act like it! So help you two ! Co, fellows, he'll bite us if we stay!”
”Be advised” said the collector, leaning back in his chair and sneering ”Behave yourselves! This is no country for taking chances with the law!”
”Reot outside ”Suppose we give hio back and try hi to face us ”What d'you take me for? I like my meals I like three squares a day, and tobacco, and now and then a drink But if this was the Sahara, and thathi favors from him,”
counseled Fred
”I wouldn't tell him the time!”
That attitude--and Will insisted that all the officials in the land would prove alike--limited our choice, for unless ere to allay official suspicion it would be hopeless to get away northward