work!" the sailor went on, his tongue loosened by the
liquor. "I did for him what I never did before, what I never will do
again! And he went back on me! He threw me down! I'd like to meet him on
Roosevelt street, New York! I'd provide against his throwing anyone else
down!"

"What did you do for him?" Ned asked, with as innocent a manner as he
could assume.

"That's my business!" Brown answered, with a sly wink. "That's between
the two of us! If I had him here I'd cut his heart out, and show you how
black it is."

The sailor was fast coming under the influence of the gin, and Ned knew
that he must keep him talking or he would drop off into drugged slumber.
He sounded him on half a dozen subjects, intending to lead him back to
the man's connection with the plot, but he would not talk until the
subject of Japan was brought up. He seemed to be infatuated with the
Flowery Kingdom.

"I know the history of Japan," he said, with a brightening of the eyes.
"In the beginning, the world was like an egg in shape. The white became
heaven, and the yolk became earth. You may read about it yourself in the
book called "_The Way of the Gods_." Then two Gods descended from
heaven, and a son called Omikami was born to them, and his body was so
bright that he flew up into the sky and became the sun.

"What do you think of that? He became the sun. And a daughter was born
to the two Gods, and she became the moon. The moon you see when the sun
goes down. Then the children that were born after these became strong
and founded the Empire of Japan. And the original inhabitants were hairy
on the body and ate raw meat. You see I know all about it!"

"And Japan may in time acquire all Asia," Ned said, desiring to lead the
sailor back to within reaching distance of the subject he was most
interested in. "In time the Philippines may belong to Japan."

The sailor winked at Ned mysteriously and flourished his bottle of gin.

"I know!" he cried. "I know! If Japan gets the Philippines she'll have
to fight a thousand tribes and the monkeys in the trees! She'll have to
fight also the crocodiles in the brooks. 'I could a tale unfold whose
lightest word would harrow up thy soul--cause thy two eyes, like stars,
to start from their spheres, and thy--.' Say," he said with a laugh,
"what do you think of me anyway? You think I've got a jag on, don't you.
Never was soberer in my innocent life!"

"If you'll describe this man that threw you down," Ned said