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national beverage--black tea reeking with the smoke of the camp fire." A laugh of relief started round, as Paul's three companions hit the table with their heavy tin cups, but in this the young Count did not join. "That ain't it," he blurted suddenly. "That was bad enough, but I've done worse than that." The colonel's face sobered and Norman's eyes turned toward the heap of personal belongings just outside the cabin door. Paul's trembling arm motioned toward these boxes and bags. "I've got a case of brandy out there and I've got to tell you how I've lied to you." "Hardly that!" protested Colonel Howell. "You hadn't spoken to me of it." "No, I didn't," confessed Paul, his voice trembling, "but I just heard you say we hadn't anything like that with us and I might as well have lied, because I had it." "Did that sergeant of police know this?" broke in Roy. "I thought he examined everything. He certainly said we were all right." "Yes, he knew it," answered Paul, "but he isn't to blame. Don't think I'm making that an excuse." Colonel Howell sat with downcast eyes and an expression of pain on his face. "Why did you do it?" he asked in a low tone at last. "Did you mean to hide it from me?" "No, no," exclaimed his young guest. "I don't know why I did it. I don't want it. I'm going to quit all that. That's why I came up here. You know that, Colonel Howell--don't you believe me?" But Colonel Howell's face now bore a different expression. "My friend," he remarked after a few moment's thought, "I may have done wrong to ask your father to let you come with us. I thought you knew all the conditions. If this is a life that is not going to interest you, you'd better go back. The Indians will be returning to-morrow or the next day and you won't find it such a hard trip." Paul gulped as if choking and then sprang from the table. From the baggage outside he extracted a canvas-bound box, his own name on the side. While his companions sat in silence he hurled it on the floor at their feet and then, with a sweep of his knife, cut the canvas from the package. With a single crush by his heavy boot, he loosened one of the boards of the cover. Carefully packed within were a dozen bottles of expensive brandy. Paul caught one of them and appeared to be about to smash it on the edge of the table. The colonel raised his hand. "Stop!" ordered his host. "Are you going back or do you want to stay with us?" "Colonel
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