g-house in bonanza times; and, see, over
yonder is the Morgue and the City Prison."

They turned back into the room, and a great, fat Chinaman brought them
tea on Condy's order. But besides tea, he brought dried almonds,
pickled watermelon rinds, candied quince, and "China nuts."

Travis cut the cheese into cubes with Condy's penknife, and arranged
the cubes in geometric figures upon the crackers.

"But, Condy," she complained, "why in the world did you get so many
crackers? There's hundreds of them here--enough to feed a regiment.
Why didn't you ask me?"

"Huh! what? what? I don't know. What's the matter with the crackers?
You were dickering with the cheese, and the man said, 'How many
crackers?' I didn't know. I said, 'Oh, give me a quarter's worth!'"

"And we couldn't possibly have eaten ten cents' worth! Oh, Condy, you
are--you are--But never mind, here's your tea. I wonder if this green,
pasty stuff is good."

They found that it was, but so sweet that it made their tea taste
bitter. The watermelon rinds were flat to their Western palates, but
the dried almonds were a great success. Then Condy promptly got the
hiccoughs from drinking his tea too fast, and fretted up and down the
room like a chicken with the pip till Travis grew faint and weak with
laughter.

"Oh, well," he exclaimed aggrievedly--"laugh, that's right! I don't
laugh. It isn't such fun when you've got 'em yoursel'--HULP."

"But sit down, for goodness' sake! You make me so nervous. You can't
walk them off. Sit down and hold your breath while you count nine.
Condy, I'm going to take off my gloves and veil. What do you think?"

"Sure, of course; and I'll have a cigarette. Do you mind if I smoke?"

"Well, what's that in your hand now?"

"By Jove, I have been smoking! I--I beg your pardon. I'm a regular
stable boy. I'll throw it away."

Travis caught his wrist. "What nonsense! I would have told you before
if I'd minded."

"But it's gone out!" he exclaimed. "I'll have another."

As he reached into his pocket for his case, his hand encountered a
paper-covered volume, and he drew it out in some perplexity.

"Now, how in the wide world did that book come in my pocket?" he
muttered, frowning. "What have I been carrying it around for? I've
forgotten. I declare I have."

"What book is it?"

"Hey? book? . . . h'm," he murmured, staring.

Travis pounded on the table. "Wake up, Condy, I'm talking to you," she
called.

"It's