nary care in selecting my associates. We have
been and still are equals, and my leadership as the outfitter of the
expedition gives me no advantage in the sharing of the treasure. As
such leader, however, I am in authority, and have employed, unsuspected
by you, many devices to test the manhood of each of you. Were it not
for the fact that I have exhausted all reasonable resources to this
end, and have found all of you trustworthy except one, I would not now
be disclosing the plan which I have been pursuing."

The three others, who had been gazing at the crestfallen one, now
stared at their leader with a startled interest.

"The final test of a man's character," calmly pursued the leader, "is
the card-table. Whatever there may be in him of weakness, whether it be
a mean avarice, cowardice, or a deceitful disposition, will there
inevitably appear. If I were the president of a bank, the general of an
army, or the leader of any other great enterprise I would make it a
point to test the character of my subordinates in a series of games at
cards, preferably played for money. It is the only sure test of
character that the wisdom of the ages has been able to devise."

He paused, and then turned his scornful glance upon the cringing man,
who meanwhile had mustered courage to look up, and was employing his
eyes as well as his ears to comprehend the strange philosophy of his
judge. Terror and dismay were elements of the expression which
curiously wrinkled his white face, as though he found himself standing
before a court of inscrutable wisdom and relentless justice. But his
glance fell instantly when it encountered that of his judge, and his
weak lower lip hung trembling.

"We have all agreed," impressively continued the leader, "that the one
found guilty of deceiving or betraying the others to the very smallest
extent should pay the penalty which we are all sworn to exact. A part
of this agreement, as we all remember, is that the one found derelict
shall be the first to insist on the visitation of the penalty, and that
should he fail to do so--but I trust that it is unnecessary to mention
the alternative."

There was another pause, and the culprit sat still, hardly breathing,
and permitting the cards to slip from his fingers to the floor.

"Mr. Rossiter," said the leader, addressing the hapless man in a tone
so hard and cold that it congealed the marrow which it pierced, "have
you any suggestion to make?"

The doomed man