When  have  you  ever  stuck  to  any  side  or  any-
body if  you  could  get  a  dollar  more  by  selling
him  out  ?  "

The  whole  thing  had  become  intolerable.  It
was  abject  and  degrading,  like  a  falling-out  among
thieves.  They  reminded  me  of  a  group  of  drunk-
en 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  in-
flamed me  the  most  against  them  was  their  un-
fairness 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,

?I2


Captain  Macklin


and  you've  lied  to  us  about  everything  else.  And
now  weVe  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.
