The Desire of the Moth; and the Come On Part 21

'For 'tis the sport to see the engineer Hoist with his own petard._'

"Again,

'_Look on this picture, then on that!

The counterfeit_.'

"Where is that counterfeit, anyhow?" He took from his pocket a good silver dollar, compared it thoughtfully with the bad one on the table, and continued.

"What else? Why, this:

'_Art thou not horribly afeared?... Could the world pick thee three such enemies again as that fiend Douglas, that spirit Percy, and that devil Glendower?'_

"Having thus pointed out the danger, he plainly indicates the remedy:

'_Where shall I find one that will steal well? O! for a fine thief of the age of two-or-three and twenty! I am heinously unprovided_.'

"Gentlemen, in my opinion we need three things. First, the services of a skillful and discreet silversmith. Second, a pair of eye-gla.s.ses fitted with a powerful microscopic lens, able to distinguish good from evil. Third, a confederate who can steal well, such as we can doubtless find in or about Broad Street. By these simple and feasible means we shall be enabled to whip-saw our redoubtable opponents or, to use the local term, 'give 'em the double-cross.'"

He sat down amid boisterous applause.

"The Watch-dog of the Treasury!" said Steve icily. The Watch-dog stood apologetically, twisting nervous fingers together. "It strikes me, Mr.

Speaker," he stammered, "that my eminent colleague might aptly have quoted from the same high authority two maxims in praise of prudence.

'Discretion is the better part of valor,' he says, and also,

'_He who fights and runs away Will live to fight another day._'

"It appears to me the part of prudence----"

Here he was howled down by disapproving groans.

"The Chair will take great pleasure in recognizing the Gentleman from New Mexico," suggested Steve, with a gracious nod.

Wildcat Thompson, cowboy, sprang to his feet; lithe, active, eager.

Swiftness, alertness, poise, certainty were in every line of his splendid body. His was the a.s.sured, resourceful bearing of the man of action, whose hands have kept his head, contrasting sharply with the Miner's heavy and tentative slowness, the awkward self-consciousness of the Easy One, the Objector's furtive and apprehensive manner, or the Near-Collegian's languid affectation of dilettantism.

"Be a sport!" He threw out a hand, his confident voice ringing with decision. "We are seven!--(or at least we will be when we pick up a financier at Atwood's). Get together! Let us adopt our learned brother's ingenious device. Should fraud fail, we can always fall back on----

'_the simple plan That each should take who hath the power.

And he should keep that can_.'

"As alternative, or, I should say, as reserve, I offer--this!" A swift gleam of silver and steel: he laid a c.o.c.ked .45 beside the other exhibits.

"The sword of Brennus! Woe to the vanquished!" murmured the School-man, when the cheering had abated. "Mr. Chairman, the amendment is accepted."

The entire meeting then lit a cigarette.

The Chair arose, using the six-shooter as gavel. "Gentlemen, have you anything more to offer? If not will you hear the question? Is it the sense of this meeting that united we fall upon this infamous coalition with the jaw bone of an a.s.s and get their money; dishonestly if we can, and if not, then by main strength and awkwardness? Those in favor of the motion will please rise. I am unanimous, and it is so ordered.

This resolution will be spread all over the minutes, right off. The Chair will appoint as committee to get a move on, Mr. Stephen Thompson of Montana; the earnest Shakespearian student, Mr. Thompson-Stephen; Mr. Wildcat Thompson of New Mexico; and myself. Having no further use for a sucker or a quitter, the other two gentlemen may go to the devil, and I hereby stand adjourned."

So saying, he gathered up his resources and departed.

At a later hour Steve presented himself in a body to the senior Atwood, with his letter from the Judge as credentials.

"Bless my soul!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed that person, when he had read a few lines. His eyes dropped to the signature. "Oh--the Judge!" he said, enlightened, and read on, chuckling.

He wheeled his chair around. "Well, Mr. Thompson, what is it--fine or bail?" he queried.

"I want to borrow a man," Steve began mildly. Here he was interrupted.

The ante-room door opened. One entered--no, floated in--faultlessly arrayed, with an air at once languid and gloomy.

"Wyatt!" said Atwood, cordially. "Man! You're good for sore eyes! What fair wind blows you here?"

Wyatt sank into a chair. "Doldwums. Nothing at all," he said listlessly. "Mewest chawnce, I a.s.suah you. Fawct is, I was--er--howwidly boahed, y' know. It's no good. All of it!" He spread out his immaculate pink palm in a comprehensive gesture. "All wot!--Dinnahs and dawnces and bwidge, the hawse-show--and--ah--all the west of it.--Vahnity fawr, y' know. If you have whatevah you want diwectly, of cow'se you cawnt want anything you daunt have, y' know.

Doocid unpleasant. I find myself like the boy that wanted to leah'n to s.h.i.+vah and shake, y' know. Needin' the excitement of what this fellah--ah--at Was.h.i.+ngton, y' know--_Woosevelt_!--of what Woosevelt calls the stwenuous life. Saht in the club thinkin' it ovah, and decided to sally fowth to seek adventuah----"

"Adventure! You?" Atwood threw back his head and roared.

"--adventuah. In a hansom," returned the new-comer placidly. "So the dwivah ahsked me 'Whah to?' y' know. I was feelin' nawsty enough, so I told him 'To pwugatowy!--like that! He was--ah--a vewy litewal-minded puhson." There was a faint flicker of amus.e.m.e.nt in his gray eyes.

"He--ah--bwought me to the Stock Exchange. Aftah I got out, y' know, I wemembahed that you--ah--did something heah. So I thought I'd just wun ovah and see you." He relapsed into moody silence.

"You've come to the right shop, I do believe," said Atwood. "Mr.

Thompson, let me make you acquainted with my old friend Wyatt."

"Chawmed, I'm suah!" muttered Wyatt, adjusting his monocle.

"You have probably heard of him," pursued Atwood. "He appears regularly in the Sunday Supplements as a Horrible Example--Anson Walworth Wyatt, nephew to his uncle. But for all he seems such a silly, supercilious a.s.s, he's a good old chap at heart, a 'weal' lion in an a.s.s-skin. Mr. Thompson, have I permission to share this letter with my friend?"

"Why not?" said Steve.

"This is a Western man's business letter," explained Atwood. The clubman listened with a well-bred stony stare.

"Aw!" he said. "How _vewy_ extwaohdinawy!"

"Now, old fellow, Mr. Thompson was just about to negotiate the loan of a man from me when you came. Here we have the adventure seeking the man, and the man seeking the adventure. It sounds promising. Of course, I shall expect a commission both ways. Now give us your plans and specifications, Mr. Thompson."

"I want to borrow a young man, as I said before, of good appearance"--with a glance at Wyatt's sumptuous apparel--"and some little brains"--another and a sharper glance, "One who will obey orders if he breaks owners, who will stand without being tied, and who doesn't especially care whether school keeps or not. I would particularly request that he leave his money, his memory, acquired good habits, if any, and his conscience, in your safe-keeping till he is returned."

"That sounds like the makings of a pretty adventure, Wyatt," said Atwood, delighted, "Are you for loan, old chap?"

Wyatt laid his affectation aside. "That depends on the interest, the security, and length of the term. It certainly appears, from your very flattering description, that you were searching for me, Mr. Thompson."

His eyes were dancing.

"Interest from the word Go. The security's all right, too, if you take a gun," said Steve rea.s.suringly. "You _might_ get a long term, but it can be avoided with luck and good management. I think the parties concerned will hardly make a complaint."

"You are not contemplating anything illegal, I trust?" Atwood was enjoying himself to the full.

"I don't know. Really hadn't given it much attention," returned the Committee, simply. "But now you mention it, I think probably I am."

"Will you allow my accomplice and myself to use your private room for executive session?" asked Wyatt.