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 made of whip cords and whitleather. The beggar nodded towards the capsule.

"Oh! Sholy, sholy! You want dis here pill." Zack dropped the capsule into the beggar's hand which transferred it instantly to the beggar's mouth, and the beggar's left hand loosed its gold. It was a wide-open transaction fairly conducted under the electric lights. Even then Lykoff did not tremble as he raised the liqueur to his lips. As yet Gargarin had gathered no suspicion.

After getting his money, Zack stepped inside, to a brighter zone of light, counting his gold as he came, and biting it with strong white teeth. He hadn't an idea whether it were good or bad, but he had once seen a white man testing gold money in that way. The beggar moved off very slowly—as a cloud dissolves. A quick-stepping European approached, and the beggar straightened visibly; he even stood erect for an instant, then relapsed into senility. That single movement betrayed him to Gargarin, and the Bloodhound sprang up, over-turning his chair. At his signal, three other men who sat in a corner leaped to their feet; another pair of men came running from the servant's café; and yet two others from across the sands.

The beggar saw them all. He dropped his staff and shook himself free of rags, revealing a