me for the pleasure o' seeing your pretty face again, you
can bet," said the seaman carelessly. "It's good nature what's brought
me here. What have you done with that diamond?"

"That's my business," said the other. "What do you want?"

"I told you I sailed in five days," said the seaman. "Well, I got
another ship this evening instead, and I sail at 6 a.m. Things are
getting just a bit too thick for me, an' I thought out o' pure good
nature I'd step round and put you on your guard."

"Why didn't you do so at first?" said the Jew, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, I didn't want to spoil a bargain," said the seaman carelessly.
"Maybe, you wouldn't have bought the stone if I had told you. Mind that
thing don't go off; I don't want to rob you. Point it the other way."

"There was four of us in that deal," he continued, after the other had
complied with his request. "Me an' Jack Ball and Nosey Wheeler and a
Burmese chap; the last I see o' Jack Ball he was quiet and peaceful,
with a knife sticking in his chest. If I hadn't been a very careful man
I'd have had one sticking in mine. If you ain't a very careful man, and
do what I tell you, you'll have one sticking in yours."

"Speak a little more plainly," said the Jew. "Come into the parlor, I
don't want the police to see a light in the shop."

"We stole it," said the seaman, as he followed the other into the little
back parlor, "the four of us, from--"

"I don't want to know anything about that," interrupted the other
hastily.

The sailor grinned approvingly, and continued: "Then me an' Jack being
stronger than them, we took it from them two, but they got level with
poor Jack. I shipped before the mast on a barque, and they came over by
steamer an' waited for me."

"Well, you're not afraid of them?" said the Jew interrogatively.
"Besides, a word to the police--"

"Telling 'em all about the diamond," said the seaman. "Oh, yes. Well,
you can do that now if you feel so inclined. They know all about _that_,
bless you, and, if they were had, they'd blab about the diamond."

"Have they been dogging you?" inquired the pawnbroker.

"Dogging me!" said the seaman. "Dogging's no word for it. Wherever I've
been they've been my shadders. They want to hurt me, but they're careful
about being hurt themselves. That's where I have the pull of them. They
want the stone back first, and revenge afterwards, so I thought I'd put
you on your guard, for they pretty well guess who's got t