Part 40 (1/2)
”I'll listen,” said Fred
”You alone?”
”No, we all stay All or none!”
Schubert esture with his thumb toward Broho had fallen dead drunk on the floor
”Will that one stay, too?”
”He is not of our party really,” Fred answered ”He knows nothing of our affairs”
”You uess!”
Schubert looked with his cruel blue eyes into each of ours in turn, then stared straight in front of him and waited
”I don't believe it,” Fred answered ”We have done nothing to merit trouble”
”Merit in this world is another name for chance!” said Schubert
”What are we supposed to have done?” demanded Fred
Schubert at once assumed as intended to be a sly look, of uncoe
”None of my business to tell what my officers know,” he answered ”As for that, time will no doubt disclose much The point is--trouble can be forestalled”
”Aw--show your hand!” cut in Will, leaning in front of Fred ”I've seen you Heinies fishi+ng for graft too often in the States not to recognize symptoms! Spill the bait can! There's no other way to tell if we'll bite! Tell us what you're driving at!”
”Ivory!” said Schubert savagely and si his jaws after the word like a snap with a steel spring It would have broken the teeth of an ordinary human
”What ivory?”
We all did our best to look blank
”You know! Tippoo Tib's ivory! It belongs to the Gerovernment!
Eainst his will, agreed to sell the secret to us, but we never agreed on a price and he died without telling Gott! He would have told had I had the interviewing of hilish lord shared the secret You have been watched You are known to be in search of the stuff”
”The deuce you say!” Fred ht at us
”If you were to go to the office to-morrow, and tell our coht be suitably co the country in comfort at your leisure”
”Who told you to pro on his straight out in front of hi between his knees The sergeants were all singing, s The Jeas back at his old post, watching every one with gi up ”There is ti After that--”
He shrugged his square shoulders brutally