The Drums of Jeopardy - Page 98/202

"Couldn't decently leave you where Karlov could get to you again."

"Is Stefani Gregor dead?"

"Don't know; probably not. But we are hunting for him." Cutty had not

explained his interest in Gregor. Those plaguey stones again. They were

demoralizing him. Loot.

"You spoke of Karlov. Who is he?"

"Why, the man who followed you across half the world."

"There were many. What is he like?"

"A gorilla."

"Ah!" Hawksley became galvanized and extended his fists. "God let me

live long enough to put my hands on him! I had the chance the other

day--to blot out his face with my boots! But I couldn't do it! I

couldn't do it!" He sagged in the chair. "No, no! Just a bit groggy. All

right in a moment."

"By the Lord Harry, I'll see you through. Now buck up. Hear that?" cried

Cutty, throwing up a window.

"Music."

"Look through that street there. See the glint of bayonets? American

soldiers, marching up Fifth Avenue, thousands of them, freemen who broke

the vaunted Hindenburg Line. God bless 'em! Americans, every mother's

son of 'em; who went away laughing, who returned laughing, who will go

back to their jobs laughing. The ability to laugh, that's America. Do

you know how to laugh?"

"I used to. I'm jolly weak just now. But I'll grin if you want me to."

And Hawksley grinned.

"That's the way. A grin in this country will take you quite as far. All

right. In five years you'll be voting. I'll see to that. Now back to bed

with you, and no more leaving it until the nurse says so. What you need

is rest."

Cutty sent a call to the nurse, who was standing undecidedly in the

doorway; and together they put the derelict back to bed. Then Cutty

fetched the photograph and set it on top of the dresser, where Hawksley

could see it.

"Now, no more gallivanting about."

"I promise, old top. This bed is a little bit of all right. I say!"

"What?"

"How long am I to be here?"

"If you're good, two weeks," interposed the nurse.

"Two weeks? I say, would you mind doing me a trifling favour? I'd like a

violin to amuse myself with."

"A fiddle? I don't know a thing about 'em except that they sound good."

Cutty pulled at his chin.

"Whatever it costs I'll reimburse you the day I'm up."