and in his eyes, too, made me put my mind on him
more closely, and then I saw what I should have seen before--that he was
moody and slightly distant.

"Seen Tom Langdon this afternoon?" I asked carelessly.

He colored. "Yes--had lunch with him," was his answer.

I smiled--for his benefit. "Aha!" thought I. "So Tom Langdon has been fool
enough to take this paroquet into his confidence." Then I said to him: "Is
Tom making the rounds, warning the rats to leave the sinking ship?"

"What do you mean, Matt?" he demanded, as if I had accused him.

I looked steadily at him, and I imagine my unshaven jaw did not make my
aspect alluring.

"That I'm thinking of driving the rats overboard," replied I. "The ship's
sound, but it would be sounder if there were fewer of them."

"You don't imagine anything Tom could say would change my feelings toward
you?" he pleaded.

"I don't know, and I don't care a damn," replied I coolly. "But I do know,
before the Langdons or anybody else can have Blacklock pie, they'll have
first to catch their Blacklock."

I saw Langdon had made him uneasy, despite his belief in my strength. And
he was groping for confirmation or reassurance. "But," thought I, "if he
thinks I may be going up the spout, why isn't he more upset? He probably
hates me because I've befriended him, but no matter how much he hated me,
wouldn't his fear of being cut off from supplies drive him almost crazy?" I
studied him in vain for sign of deep anxiety. Either Tom didn't tell him
much, I decided, or he didn't believe Tom knew what he was talking about.

"What did Tom say about me?" I inquired.

"Oh, almost nothing. We were talking chiefly of--of club matters," he
answered, in a fair imitation of his usual offhand manner.

"When does my name come up there?" said I.

He flushed and shifted. "I was just about to tell you," he stammered. "But
perhaps you know?"

"Know what?"

"That--Hasn't Tom told you? He has withdrawn--and--you'll have to get
another second--if you think--that is--unless you--I suppose you'd have
told me, if you'd changed your mind?"

Since I had become so deeply interested in Anita, my
ambition--ambition!--to join the Travelers had all but dropped out of my
mind.

"I had forgotten about it," said I. "But, now that you remind me, I want my
name withdrawn. It was a passing fancy. It was part and parcel of a lot of
damn foolishness I've been indulging in for the last few months. But I've
come to my