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in its infancy, so to speak, and the accommodation left
much to be desired. Interesting to fathom it seemed to him
from a motive of curiosity, pure and simple, was whether it
was the traffic that created the route or viceversa or the two
sides in fact. He turned back the other side of the card, pic-
ture, and passed it along to Stephen.
—I seen a Chinese one time, related the doughty nar-
rator, that had little pills like putty and he put them in the
water and they opened and every pill was something dif-
ferent. One was a ship, another was a house, another was a
flower. Cooks rats in your soup, he appetisingly added, the
chinks does.
Possibly perceiving an expression of dubiosity on their
faces the globetrotter went on, adhering to his adventures.
—And I seen a man killed in Trieste by an Italian chap.
Knife in his back. Knife like that.
Whilst speaking he produced a dangerouslooking clasp-
knife quite in keeping with his character and held it in the
striking position.
—In a knockingshop it was count of a tryon between two
smugglers. Fellow hid behind a door, come up behind him.
Like that. Prepare to meet your God, says he. Chuk! It went
into his back up to the butt.
His heavy glance drowsily roaming about kind of de-
fied their further questions even should they by any chance
want to.
—That’s a good bit of steel, repeated he, examining his
formidable stiletto.
After which harrowing denouement sufficient to appal