If you'll excuse my saying so I think you ought to have more sense!"
"Oh, of course we ought to take you on trust," he agreed sardonically.
"But we can't I'm afraid. The fact is, we have had an experience or two
to shake our faith. The last time this steamer stopped here we caught a
pair of spies who didn't look the part any more than you do; and since
then we have rather stopped taking appearances as guarantees."
"All right, then," I responded. "I'll stretch a point since it is
war-time. I give you my word that I threw overboard a small bronze
paper-weight that was cluttering up my traps. There was nothing
surreptitious about it; the whole steamer might have seen me. Do you
care to take the responsibility of having me shot for that?"
"And I want to say, sir, that the gentleman is giving it to you
straight." An unexpected voice addressed the lieutenant at my back. "I
was standing at the door behind him that night, though he didn't know
it, and I can take my oath that what he says is gospel truth."
My unlooked-for champion was Mr. John Van Blarcom.
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