ank it to the
dregs.

PART IV

CHAPTER I

SAND OF THE DESERT

Donovan Kelly was out of temper. There was no denying it, though
with him such a frame of mind was phenomenal. He leaned moodily
against the door-post at the hotel-entrance, smoking a short pipe
of very strong tobacco, and speaking to no one. He had been there
for some time, and the girl in the office was watching him with
eyes round with curiosity. For he had not even said "Good morning"
to her. She wanted to accost him, but somehow the hunch of his
shoulders was too discouraging even for her. So she contented
herself with waiting developments.

There were plenty of men coming and going, but though several of
them gave him greeting as they passed, Kelly responded to none. He
seemed to be wrapped in a gloomy fog of meditation that cut him off
completely from the outside world. He was alone with himself, and
in that state he obviously intended to remain.

But the girl in the office had her own shrewd suspicions as to the
reason of his waiting there, suspicions which after the lapse of
nearly half an hour she triumphantly saw verified. For presently
through the shifting, ever-changing crowd a square-shouldered man
made his appearance, and without a glance to right or left went
straight to the big Irishman lounging in the doorway, and took him
by the shoulder.

Kelly started round with an instant smile of welcome. "Ah, and is
it yourself at last? I've been waiting a devil of a time for ye,
my son. Is all well?"

The girl in the office did not hear Burke's reply though she craned
far forward to do so. She only saw his shoulders go up slightly,
and the next moment the two men turned and entered the public
dining-room together.

Kelly's ill-temper had gone like an early morning fog. He led the
way to a table reserved in a corner, and they sat down.

"I was half afraid ye wouldn't have anything but a kick for Donovan
this morning," he said, with a somewhat rueful smile.

Burke's own brief smile showed for a moment. "I shouldn't start on
you anyway," he said. "You found young Guy?"

Kelly made an expressive gesture. "Oh yes, I found him, him and
his master too. At Hoffstein's of course. Kieff was holding one
of his opium shows, the damn' dirty skunk. I couldn't get the boy
away, but I satisfied myself that he was innocent of this. He
never engaged a room here or had any intention of coming here.
What Kieff's intentions we