to--not at _that_ price."

"I--I will buy it for you--yes?" said another voice. "It is made for
you--so 'sweetly pretty' as you say."

Billy turned. A slim, tall girl in a dark blue frock was standing
before a counter of Oriental jewelry, her head turned, with an air
of startled surprise, to the man on the other side of her who had
just spoken. He was a short, stout, blond man, heavily flushed,
showily dressed, with a fulsome beam in his light-blue eyes and an
ingratiating grin beneath his upturned straw-colored mustaches.

The girl turned her head away toward the shop-keeper and put back
the turquoise-studded buckle she held in her hand. "No, I do not
care for it," she said in a steady voice whose coldness was for the
intruder and turned away.

Billy had a glimpse of scarlet cheeks and dark lashed eyes before
the blond young man again took his attention.

"You do not like it--no?" he said, blocking her path, his face
thrust out to smile into hers. "But I buy you anything you wish--I
make you one present----"

The girl gave a quick look about. But she was in a pocket; for there
was no other exit to that line of shops but the path he was
blocking. All about her the dark-skinned venders and shoppers, the
bearded men, the veiled women, the impish urchins, were watching the
encounter with beady eyes of malicious interest.

Billy took a quick step forward and touched the man on the arm. "Let
this lady pass, please," he said.

The German confronted him with blood-shot blue eyes that ceased to
smile and clearly welcomed the belligerency.

"Gott! Who are you?" he derided. "Get out--get out the way."

"Get out yourself," said Billy, and stepping in front of the fellow
he extended a rigid arm, leaving a passage for the girl behind him.

"Oh, thank you," he heard her say, and as he half turned his head at
the grateful murmur he felt a sudden staggering blow on the side of
his face. He whirled about, on guard, and as the man struck again,
lunging heavily in his intoxication, Billy knocked up the fist as it
came.

"You silly fool!" he said impatiently, and as the man made a blind
rush upon him he caught him and by main force flung him off, but his
own foot struck something slippery and he lurched and went down,
with a wave of intense disgust, into the dirt of the bazaars. He
heard a chorus of cries and imprecations about him; he jumped up
instantly, looking for his assailant, but the German was clinging to
the front