applause. He expressed his thanks modestly, and
disclaimed any merit except that of pure luck. Then he held up the
"Golden Judge" itself, with a gleam in his eye.

"I hope," he said, "that this coin will have still more work to do.
Surely there are still disputed places in the world, where justice lies
on both sides, where only 'face-saving' prevents a settlement. And
surely it is better to resort to this coin than to force and war and
bitter arguments that drag on year after year."

"Hear! Hear!" Nehru cried, leading the applause. General O'Reilly stood
smiling until it died away.

"Places like Kashmir," he said clearly.

There was a gasp of laughter, quickly hushed. Nehru's face was pale with
anger; he was famous for his temper. And everyone knew how India and
Pakistan had quarreled for years over Kashmir, and that all the efforts
of the United Nations had come to nothing so far.

"I was delighted to hear Prime Minister Nehru say," General O'Reilly
went on calmly, "how much he approved this method of settling old
disputes. And I should be very glad to help--with this." Smiling, he
tossed the Golden Judge in the air and caught it again.

Nehru could keep silent no longer. Like a skilled Oriental debater, he
struck back indirectly. "We thank General O'Reilly," he said acidly,
"for his kind offer, but perhaps it should be first used by his own
people, the Irish, of whose gambling prowess he is so proud. Surely no
bitterness has lasted longer than that between the Republic of Ireland
and the 'Six Lost Counties' of Northern Ireland. Let the Irish use the
Golden Judge themselves before they counsel it for others!"

But General O'Reilly was unruffled. "I'm an American, myself," he said,
smiling, "although proud indeed of my Irish blood. And the _Irish_ Irish
will have to speak for themselves, although I venture to say you'll find
them a sporting people indeed. But that's not quite the point, is it?
'Twas you yourself, sir, who praised the Golden Judge so highly. And
you've seen today what fine sportsmen the Chinese are. The point is, are
the _Indians_ a sporting people?"

"Of course we're a sporting people!" Nehru glared.

"Then I take it you'd be willing, assuming Pakistan agrees, of course,
but I'm told they're a _very_ sporting people, to--" The general tossed
the coin again, absent-mindedly.

"All right!" Nehru grated. "If they agree, so do we!"

* * * * *

It took a month before Pakist