rk to be done I do it myself, with these two hands.
Understand? Now, Ramos fancies himself in the supposed position of
bravo. Very amusing, I assure you----"

"I don't care about Ramos and your whims, Garman," Payne interrupted.

"Of course not. Why should you? But I'd be bored to death down here
if I didn't have people to play with----"

"Rot! You aren't the playing kind."

"My dear fellow," said Garman with a deep chuckle, "if I didn't have
lives to play with--other people's lives--I'd die of boredom. You're
young," he continued with a sudden touch of bitterness. "You're still
able to draw upon the old illusions to maintain your interest in life.
Ambition, work, achievement, success--Love! You're inexperienced
enough to pursue the old will-o'-the-wisps that Nature has planted in
man's instincts to keep him living till her purpose is served. Pah!
Payne, I've tried them all, won them all, and that--" he blew out a
great cloud of smoke--"that is more real and satisfying than all of
them put together."

"Have your liver examined," advised Payne; "that's probably what's the
matter with you."

Garman's Gargantuan burst of laughter rocked him in the saddle.

"Good boy! We'll have a lot of fun before we're through with one
another. But what a materialist you are for a young fellow, Payne!
What will you be at fifty if now you reduce psychological
manifestations to a common physical cause? Why, man, you ought to be
walking with your head in the clouds, dreaming of the one woman, the
Perfect Mate, and Love, which are to make your life complete. All
young fools of your age do it; why not you?"

"And so you play with other people's lives, do you?" said Payne, paying
no attention to the other's raillery. "And is that what you're
thinking of doing with mine?"

Garman tilted back his head and smiled through a smoke cloud. "Yes,"
he said softly; "unless you run away."

"Huh!"

"No, you aren't the running kind. That's what makes you interesting.
That's what will make you good fun. What could be more interesting
than seeing a young man like yourself want something so badly that he'd
give his life for it and then suddenly place the desired object far,
far beyond his reach. To watch his expression when he discovers that
he's lost. To see the change from hope to despair take place in his
eyes, to watch the illusions go, and the bitter truth about life take
possession of him. What will he do, say and look w