which
I had used as a hospital, and turned the handle of the door. It opened,
but the darkness was profound, and Ellison struck a match and lit the
lamp. Adams lay in his bunk groaning faintly. I turned up his sleeve
and examined him. The wound was inflamed, as I had expected, and it was
not that which arrested me, but a mark on the arm above the elbow. It
was the prick of the hypodermic syringe. My doubts were now
certainties.

As we stood there Adams opened his eyes, and struggled into a sitting
posture.

"No, my man," said I, "you must keep to your back."

He stared at me, but allowed me to force him backwards, and continued
to stare.

"Adams, can you understand?" said I firmly. "Gray struck you with a
knife?"

"Between the shoulders, damn him," he growled sulkily. "Doctor, my
head's bad--give me something to drink."

I had come prepared, and I did so, and he fell back with a sigh,
showing more signs of alertness.

"You quarrelled?" I suggested, but he made no answer. "Look you here,
my man," I went on sternly, "I know a good deal about this, and what
you quarrelled over. It would be wiser, believe me, to be candid.
Pierce had a hand in this."

Still he was silent. I pulled from my pocket a syringe, and showed it
to him.

"Do you know what that is?" I asked.

He shook his head, staring.

"Well," said I, "it came pretty near finishing you off. You have had a
heavy dose. I want to know who did it." I caught up his arm, and thrust
the puncture under his nose. He still stared.

"You were talking pretty wildly in your delirium, and had to be
silenced. That was how it was done. If they can't silence you one way
they will another. How much was your share to be?"

The man's face worked in an ugly fashion, and he was at any time a
repulsive creature. The glitter in his eyes spoke of fever.

"The devil's own," he said hoarsely. "They wanted to cheat me of it,
and I said I'd split. Damn Pierce, and Gray, and all!"

"So you were going for the prince's cash-box, were you?" I said
equably.

"It's more than that," said he. "There's the treasure in the
strong-room. That's their game."

"Now I see you are sensible," I said, "and I can undertake to make you
well and sound and happy provided you tell the truth."

"Doctor, it burns like fire," he groaned.

"I will see to that," I said. "What is the plot?"

"I have cried off. That's why I got the knife," he said faintly. "But
swear to God no harm'll come to m