passed, in a hurry, or to one who had
not the full possession of his senses, as a silver half dollar, which
it somewhat resembles. In fact, I think I can persuade King that it
_was_ a half dollar he dropped."

And, somewhat to the surprise of Mr. Kettridge, the colonel, who had
been watching King as the latter sought on the floor for his fallen
coins, walked up to the wastral and handed him a fifty-cent piece.

"You dropped that, I believe," said Colonel Ashley, genially enough.

"Thanks, old top! Perhaps I did. Have a drink?"

"No, thank you!"

With a friendly wave of his hand to the colonel, King slipped the half
dollar into his pocket with other loose change and turned to the glass
that awaited him.

"You see," said the colonel to Mr. Kettridge. "He doesn't know he had
it--he doesn't know he lost it--he doesn't know you have it. Keep it,
I beg of you. We may need it."

"But suppose King goes away?"

"He won't. I'll take care of that. I'll telegraph for one of my best
men. I have a little more than I can look after personally."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Have King kept in sight. There are some others in this city I need to
shadow."

"You don't mean Singa Phut?"

"No, he's in custody. Besides, I've--Well, I guess I won't say what
conclusion I've come to regarding him. I might have to change it. He
is an interesting study. I haven't yet found a motive for his killing
of his partner--if he did it."

"Who else could?"

"There might be many. Just as there might be many ways to account for
King's having possession of this coin. He may have come by it in a way
that is easily explained, and if we, inferentially, accused him there
would be trouble."

"I suppose so. Well, Colonel Ashley, I'll leave the case in your
hands. God knows, for the sake of the family name, I'd like to see
Darcy cleared. I don't believe he did it. Here, you keep this coin,"
for the detective had offered it to his companion. "You may need it."

"Yes. I may. And so it is worth a thousand dollars," mused the
colonel. "Just about the sum Darcy claimed from his cousin. I
wonder--Oh, but what's the use of wondering? I must make _certain_,"
and he put the old Roman coin safely away in his wallet.

The colonel and his friend finished their modest meal, and their more
modest potations, of no very strong liquids, and went out, leaving
Harry King and his companions to "make a night of it."

Larch, whose face wa