s could not hide or
dim. Not even rags and tatters could have made Loristan seem
insignificant or undistinguished. He was always the same. His eyes
seemed darker and more wonderful than ever in their remote
thoughtfulness and interest as he spoke.

"Go on," he said. "It is a splendid game. And it is curious. He has
thought it out well. The lad is a born soldier."

"It is not a game to him," Marco said. "And it is not a game to me.
The Squad is only playing, but with him it's quite different. He knows
he'll never really get what he wants, but he feels as if this was
something near it. He said I might show you the map he made. Father,
look at it."

He gave Loristan the clean copy of The Rat's map of Samavia. The city
of Melzarr was marked with certain signs. They were to show at what
points The Rat--if he had been a Samavian general--would have attacked
the capital. As Marco pointed them out, he explained The Rat's reasons
for his planning.

Loristan held the paper for some minutes. He fixed his eyes on it
curiously, and his black brows drew themselves together.

"This is very wonderful!" he said at last. "He is quite right. They
might have got in there, and for the very reasons he hit on. How did
he learn all this?"

"He thinks of nothing else now," answered Marco. "He has always
thought of wars and made plans for battles. He's not like the rest of
the Squad. His father is nearly always drunk, but he is very well
educated, and, when he is only half drunk, he likes to talk."

The Rat asks him questions then, and leads him on until he finds out a
great deal. Then he begs old newspapers, and he hides himself in
corners and listens to what people are saying. He says he lies awake
at night thinking it out, and he thinks about it all the day. That was
why he got up the Squad.

Loristan had continued examining the paper.

"Tell him," he said, when he refolded and handed it back, "that I
studied his map, and he may be proud of it. You may also tell him--"
and he smiled quietly as he spoke--"that in my opinion he is right.
The Iarovitch would have held Melzarr to-day if he had led them."

Marco was full of exultation.

"I thought you would say he was right. I felt sure you would. That is
what makes me want to tell you the rest," he hurried on.

"If you think he is right about the rest too--" He stopped awkwardly
because of a sudden wild thought which rushed upon him. "I don't know
what yo