tly, rising to
reach a copy of the "Canal Zone Laws"; "If you have nothing else on
hand you might run these over; and the 'Police Rules and Regulations,'"
he added, handing me a small, flat volume bound in light brown
imitation leather.

I sat down in an arm-chair against the wall and fell to reading, amid
the clickity-click of typewriters, telephone calls even from far-off
Colon on the Atlantic, and the constant going and coming of a negro
orderly in shiningly ironed khaki uniform. By and by the Inspector
drifted into the main office, where his voice blended for some time
with that of "the Captain," At length he came back bearing a copy of
the day's Star and Herald, turned back to the "Estrella de Panama"
pages so rarely opened in the Zone.

"Just run us off a translation of that, if you don't mind," he said,
pointing to a short paragraph in Spanish.

Some two minutes later I handed him the English version of the account
of a near-duel between two Panamanians, and took once more to reading.
It was more than an hour later that I was again interrupted.

"You'll want to catch the 5:25 back to Corozal?" inquired the
Inspector; "Mr. ----, give him transportation to Culebra and back, and
an order for physical examination.

"You might fill out this application blank," he added, handing me a
long legal sheet, "then in case you are appointed that much will be
done."

The document began with the usual, "Name----, Birthplace----, and so
on." There followed the information that the appointee "must be at
least five feet eight; weigh one hundred and forty, chest at least
thirty-four inches--" Then suddenly near the bottom of the back of the
sheet my eyes caught the startling words;--"Unless you are sure you are
a man of physical appearance far above the average do not fill out this
application."

I was suddenly aware of a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach; the
blank all but slipped from my nerveless fingers. Then all at once there
came back to me the words of some chance acquaintance of some far-off
time and place, words which were the only memory that remained to me of
the speaker, except that he had lived long and gathered much
experience, "Bluff, my boy, is what carries a man through the world.
Act as if you're sure you are and can and you'll generally make the
other fellow think so." I sat down at a desk and filled out the
application in my most self-confident flourish.

"Go to Culebra to-morrow," said the Insp