I could never
have believed one experimental week in badness would have made such a
difference to your looks." "You told us to try hard!" Kelson murmured, "and naturally we did. I
reckon you've done the same by your expression. I should hardly have
known you." "It shows pretty clearly," Curtis said, "what a lot of bad is latent
in most people; and that the right circumstances only are needed to
bring it out. Starvation, for instance, is calculated to bring out the
evil in any one--no matter whom. But what puzzles me, is how we have
escaped being caught!" "That's a good sign," Hamar said. "It bears out what is written in the
book. If you give your whole mind to doing wrong during this trial
week you'll meet with no mishap. But you must be heart and soul in it. Hunger made us--hunger has been our friend." "What do you mean?" Curtis said. "Why," Hamar replied, "if we hadn't been well-nigh starving we
shouldn't have been able to carry out the instructions quite so
thoroughly." "Have you, too, stolen?" Curtis queried. "I have certainly appropriated a few necessaries," Hamar said shortly,
"but I mean to stop now. We have higher game to fly at. Now, with
regard to the tests. I have not been idle I can assure you. I have
secured all the requisites. The mirror and black cat I--well, er--to
use a conventionalism that comes in rather handy--the mirror and
cat--I picked up. The skull I borrowed from a medical I know--the
moth--er--from some one's private collection--and the elderberries,
hemlock and chemicals I obtained from a drug store man in Battery
Street with whom I used to deal. The moon will be full to-night so
that we may as well begin. Will you come round to my room at
eleven-thirty?" They promised; and Hamar, as he took his departure, again glanced at
the handsome fur coat hanging on the door. He was hardly out of hearing when Curtis looked across at Kelson. "Do
you think he recognised it!" he whispered. "You may bet he did, and he
had only just stolen it himself! However, it's his own fault. He told
us to lie and steal, and we've done his bidding." "We have indeed!" Kelson sighed; "at least you have. For my part I'd
rather be content with food!" "Well, I needed clothes just as much as food!" Curtis snarled. "If I
went about naked I should only be sent to prison--that's the law. It
punishes you for taking clothes, and it punishes you for going without
them. There's logic for you!" Curtis and Kelson spent the rest of the day indoors; and at night
sallied forth to Hamar's. The solitary attic--if one could thus designate a space of about three
square feet--which comprised Hamar's lodging--had the advantage of
being situated in the top storey of a skyscraper--at least a
skyscraper for that part of the city. From its window could be seen,
high above the serried ranks of chimney-pots on the opposite side of
the street, those two newly erected buildings: William Carman's chewing
gum factory in Hearnes Street, and Mark Goddard's eight-storied
private residence in Van Ness Avenue; and, as if this were not enough
architectural grace for the eye to dwell on, glimmering away to the
right was the needle-like spire of Moss Bates's devil-dodging
establishment in Branman Street; whilst, just behind it, in saucy
mocking impudence, peeped out the gilded roof of the Knee Brothers'
recently erected Cinematograph Palace. All this and more--much more--was to be seen from Hamar's outlook, and
all for the sum of one dollar and a half per week. When Curtis and
Kelson entered, the room was aglow with moonlight, and Hamar and the
black cat were stealthily regarding one another from opposite corners
of the room. From far away--from somewhere in the very base of the
building, came the dull echo of a shout, succeeded by the violent
slamming of a door; whilst from outside, from one of the many deserted
thoroughfares below, rose the frightened cry of a fugitive woman. Otherwise all was comparatively still. "You're a bit early!" was Hamar's greeting, "but better that than
late. Everything is ready, and all we've got to do is to wait till
twelve. Sit down." They did as they were bid. Presently the cat, forsaking its sanctuary,
and ignoring Curtis's solicitations, glided across the floor, and
climbing on to Kelson's knee, refused to budge. The trio sat in
silence till a few minutes before midnight, when Hamar rose, and,
selecting a spot where the moonbeams lay thickest, placed thereon the
tub of water, in which--with its face uppermost--he proceeded to float
a small mirror, set in a cheap wooden frame. He then calmly produced a
pocket knife. "What's that for?" Kelson inquired nervously. "Blood!" Hamar responded. "One of us must spare three drops. The
conditions demand it--and after all the ham and sausages you two have
eaten I think one of you can spare it best. Which of you shall it be? Come, there's no time to lose!" "Matt has more blood than I have!" Curtis growled; "but why not the
cat?" "It would spoil our chances with it for the other experiment," Hamar
said. "It's a sulky, cross-grained brute, and would give us no end of
trouble. Besides it can bite. Look here, let's draw lots!" Curtis and Kelson were inclined to demur; but the proposed method was
so in accordance with custom that there really did not seem any
feasible objection to raise to it. Accordingly lots were drawn--and
Hamar himself was the victim. Curtis laughed coarsely, and Kelson hid
his smiles in the cat's coat. A neighbouring clock now began to strike
twelve. "Look alive, Leon!" Curtis cried, nudging Kelson's elbow. "Look alive
or it will be too late. The Unknown is mighty particular to a few
seconds. Let me operate on you. I've always fancied I was born to use
the knife--that I've really missed my vocation. You needn't be
afraid--there's no artery in the palm of your hand--you won't bleed to
death." Thus goaded, Hamar pricked away nervously at his hand, and, after
sundry efforts, at last succeeded in drawing blood; three drops of
which he very carefully let fall in the tub. "I wish it was light so that we could see it," Curtis whispered in
Kelson's ear. "I believe Jews have different coloured blood to other
people." Though Kelson was apprehensive, Hamar did not appear to have heard;
his whole attention was riveted on the mirror, on the face of which
was a reflection of the moon. "I knew nothing would happen," Curtis cried, "you had better wipe your
knife or you'll be arrested for severing some one's jugular. Hulloa! what's up with the cat?" Hamar was about to tell him to be quiet when Kelson caught his arm. "Look, Leon! Look! What's the brute doing? Is it mad?" Kelson gasped. Hamar turned his head--and there crouching on the floor, in the
moonlight, was the cat, its hair bristling on end and its green eyes
ablaze with an expression which held all three men speechless.