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20 Chelubai blushed, but he said bravely: "Well, as long as we're engaged in earnest work, I guess I'd better be. I think easier and quicker."

"What became of the man?" said Bottiger, with all the readiness of one of the leisured classes to let his attention stray from the matter in hand.

"They outed him in the end. He didn't wake up one morning; and when his servants looked into the matter, they found a knife in his ribs," said Chelubai.

"Poor beggar!" said Bottiger.

We were silent a while, giving Chelubai's suggestion careful thought; then I said, "What about methods?" "Yes, we've figured out the subscription part of the scheme—roughly. We may as well consider methods a while," said Chelubai.

"Taking into consideration the incompetence of the average doctor, there's a good deal to be said for poison. But the worst of it is, the enemies of society can generally afford specialists. And after all poison is really rather a method of domestic removal, and even in the cause of Humanity we should hardly care to be on such intimate terms with a financier or captain of drapery as to have easy access to his house. We shall have to content ourselves with violence," I said

"There's nothing like knifing," said Chelubai simply.