The Dark Star

"Listen! This won't do. People are looking at us----"

"Right, old fellow--always right! You know, Neeland, this friendship

of ours is the most precious, most delightful, and most inspiring

experience of my life. Here's a full goblet to our friendship! Hurrah!

As for Enver Pasha, may Erlik seize him!"

After they had honoured the toast, Sengoun looked about him

pleasantly, receptive, ready for any eventuality. And observing no

symptoms of any eventuality whatever, he suggested creating one.

"Dear comrade," he said, "I think I shall arise and make an incendiary

address----"

"No!"

"Very well, if you feel that way about it. But there is another way to

render the evening agreeable. You see that sideboard?" he continued,

pointing to a huge carved buffet piled to the ceiling with porcelain

and crystal. "What will you wager that I can not push it over with one

hand?"

But Neeland declined the wager with an impatient gesture, and kept his

eyes riveted on a man who had just entered the café. He could see only

the stranger's well-groomed back, but when, a moment later, the man

turned to seat himself, Neeland was not surprised to find himself

looking at Doc Curfoot.

"Sengoun," he said under his breath, "that type who just came in is

an American gambler named Doc Curfoot; and he is here with other

gamblers for the purpose of obtaining political information for some

government other than my own."

Sengoun regarded the new arrival with amiable curiosity: "That worm? Oh, well, every city in Europe swarms with such maggots,

you know. It would be quite funny if he tries any blandishments on us,

wouldn't it?"

"He may. He's a capper. He's looking at us now. I believe he remembers

having seen me in the train."

"As for an hour or two at chemin-de-fer, baccarat, or roulette,"

remarked Sengoun, "I am not averse to a----"

"Watch him! The waiter who is taking his order may know who you

are--may be telling that gambler.... I believe he did! Now, let us

see what happens...."

Sengoun, delighted at the prospect of an eventuality, blandly emptied

his goblet and smiled generally upon everybody.

"I hope he will make our acquaintance and ask us to play," he said.

"I'm very lucky at chemin-de-fer. And if I lose I shall conclude that

there is trickery. Which would make it very lively for everybody," he

added with a boyish smile. But his dark eyes began to glitter and he

showed his beautiful, even teeth when he laughed.

"Ha!" he said. "A little what you call a mix-up might not come amiss!

That gives one an appetite; that permits one to perspire; that does

good to everybody and makes one sleep soundly! Shall we, as you say in

America, start something?"

Neeland, thinking of Ali-Baba and Golden Beard and of their undoubted

instigation by telegraph of the morning's robbery, wondered whether

the rendezvous of the robbers might not possibly be here in the Café

des Bulgars.