McCalloway was not one to turn half aside from any danger. If he had
been among the lost, Boone might never have known. Even his torture of
mind over Asa had been free of this intolerable character of suspense.
Now it was lifted, and without a forerunner of hint the man stood there
before him in the flesh, smiling and talking of a dress suit!

"I can't believe it, sir," Boone stammered, and McCalloway's ruddy face
became quizzical.

"Had you made up your mind to lose me, then?" he inquired.

Much they had in common at that moment of reunion, and one thing in
antithesis. Boone thought of his lost race and was smitten with a pang
of failure to report, but McCalloway was reading the clarity of bold and
honest eyes: of a face to which it was given to wear the karat-mark of
dauntlessness and integrity, and at the end of his gaze he gave an
unuttered summary of what he had read: "Clean as a hound's tooth--and as
strong."

"They beat me to a pulp down there, sir," Boone made prompt and rueful
confession, "but there's time to tell about that later. I guess for a
while I'm going to keep you busy declining to answer questions about
yourself."

"There may be some uncensored passages," smiled the Scot. "I sha'n't
have to walk in total darkness."

"The important question is already answered, sir. You are safely back.
You were with Kuroki, weren't you?" There Boone halted and grinned as he
added: "'Don't answer that thar question onlessen ye've a mind ter.'"

"I was with him for a time. Why do you ask?"

"Because," came the instant and confident response, "where he went there
were the signs of genius."

"Genius went with Kuroki quite independently of his subordinates,"
McCalloway assured him gravely, "but a few moments back I heard you tell
some one over the telephone that you couldn't come to her party because
you had no evening clothes. The Russian war is over, but the matter of
that dress suit retains the force of present crisis."

A half hour later, while the elder man displayed a sartorial knowledge
which surprised him, Boone was being measured for his first evening
clothes.

"For the Lord's sake, sir," he besought with sudden realization as they
left the tailor's shop, "don't ever breathe a word about that spade-tail
coat back there in Marlin. I'm going to run for the legislature next
time, you know. The man that licked me before had patches on his pants."

McCalloway nodded his head. "I'll tell it not in Gath, sp