out the
spirit-lamp and we'll soon see. To be candid with you, I don't
believe the man's any more deaf than you or I."

"If you run a hot needle through the lobe of his ear well
find out whether he can really talk or not," said Grim in
his pleasantest voice. "If he's shamming I don't mind.
What we need in this service is a man who can endure without
betraying himself."

"Well, we'll soon see."

I began to hate Grim pretty cordially. I hated him more when
Suliman came in, dressed for the street in a rather dirty cotton
smock, with a turban in place of his fez. He told the boy to
hold the wooden handle of a paper-knife behind my ear to prevent
the hot needle from going too far on its sizzling journey.
It didn't seem to me the way to reciprocate volunteer secret
service. Suliman's grin at the prospect of seeing a man
tortured was enough to provoke murder. I brushed the boy aside,
fly-fashion, got up, crossed the room, and sat down again in
the corner.

"Good enough!" laughed Grim. "You'll do."

"Yes, I think he'll do," agreed Templeton.

But I took no notice. I had seen too many games lost and won
with the last card. Templeton looked down at Suliman:

"Tell him the game's over. He may talk now."

"Mafish mukhkh!" [No brains!] the boy answered, grinning and
tapping his own forehead. "Magnoon!" [Mad!]

"I think I can trust them both," said Grim, smiling in my
direction. "All right, old man; time out! If you'd spoken once
there'd have been nothing more between you and a life of safety
and respectability!"

"Whereas," said Templeton, "you may now be unsafe and an outlaw
and enjoy yourself! Are you sure they haven't marked him?" he
asked Grim.

"Sure! Why should they suspect a tourist? But I've taken
precautions. Word is on the way to the hotel to forward all his
mail to Jaffa until further notice." He laughed at me again. "I
hope you're not expecting important letters!"

Suliman had evidently been well schooled in advance, for at a nod
from Grim he came over and took my hand, as if I were blind in
addition to the other supposed infirmities. He led me out by a
back-door, across a yard into an alley, which we followed as far
as a main road and then turned toward the Jaffa Gate. Looking
back once I saw Grim in his Shereefian uniform striding along
behind us; but where the road forked he took the other turning.

There is contentment in walking disguised through crowded
streets, even when