. Listen to mine first. I want to go fishing,
and I haven't the money. None of my brother physicians will lend me
another sou, for I owe them all. You are John Merrick, to whom money is
of little consequence. May I venture to ask you for an advance of a
couple of hundred for a few weeks? When I return I'll take up your
proposition, whatever it may be, and recompense you in services."

He refilled and relighted the corncob while Mr. Merrick stared at him
in thoughtful silence. As a matter of fact, Uncle John was pleased with
the fellow. A whimsical, irrational, unconventional appeal of this sort
went straight to his heart, for the queer little man hated the
commonplace most cordially.

"I'll give you the money on one condition," he said.

"I object to the condition," said Gys firmly. "Conditions are
dangerous."

"My proposition," went on Uncle John, "won't wait for weeks. When you
hear it, if you are not anxious to take it up, I don't want you. Indeed,
I'm not sure I want you, anyhow."

"Ah; you're frightened by my features. Most people with propositions
are. I'm an unlucky dog, sir. They say it's good luck to touch a
hunchback; to touch me is the reverse. Way up North in a frozen sea a
poor fellow went overboard. I didn't get him and he drowned; but I got
caught between two cakes of floating ice that jammed my nose out of its
former perfect contour. In Yucatan I tumbled into a hedge of poisoned
cactus and had to operate on myself--quickly, too--to save my life.
Wild with pain, I slashed my face to get the poisoned tips of thorn out
of the flesh. Parts of my body are like my face, but fortunately I can
cover them. It was bad surgery. On another I could have operated without
leaving a scar, but I was frantic with pain. Don't stare at that big
eye, sir; it's glass. I lost that optic in Pernambuco and couldn't find
a glass substitute to fit my face. Indeed, this was the only one in
town, made for a fat Spanish lady who turned it down because it was not
exactly the right color."

"You certainly have been--eh--unfortunate," murmured Uncle John.

"See here," said Gys, taking a leather book from an inside pocket of the
coat that hung on a peg beside him, and proceeding to open it. "Here is
a photograph of me, taken before I embarked upon my adventures."

Uncle John put on his glasses and examined the photograph curiously. It
was a fine face, clean-cut, manly and expressive. The eyes were
especially frank and winning.