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276 him three hours' grace before we began to unload."

"You may bet that's where he got the idea, all the same," said Chelubai.

"And saw his way to going one better," said I. "Never mind," said Honest John Driver, with swelling dignity, "I have had my lesson. Gutermann was my friend—I trusted him—I may say, implicitly—and this is how he served me. I shall never trust again—never."

"A very wise resolution," I said, with hearty approval. "Between business men trust is misplaced." "You are right, Mr. Armitage—quite right. But I know now—once bit, twice shy."

He fell into a thoughtful, silent gloom, pondering his wrongs. We, too, were silent, with the silence of sympathy, badly as I wanted to laugh. Presently, with a plain effort, he roused himself and said, "Well, gentlemen, I must not keep you; and I'm glad to have had the chance of letting you know what a rascal Gutermann is."

"We are glad to have been warned," I said gratefully, "and we should like our check."

"Your check?" said the King of Finance, with an excellent start of surprise. "What check?"

"Our check for three thousand five hundred for removing Gutermann out of touch with civilization from the first to the twelfth of March."