ethin' o' my gun play. Gee, it's lonesome here!" Dodge mused for a
moment. "Say, what's your old man's idea hog-tyin' you that-a-way?"

"He'll tell you perhaps."

"Uh-huh. Say, what did the Lord make all that stuff for?" with a gesture
toward the brazen sea. "What's it good for, anyhow?"

"But for the sea we wouldn't have any oysters or codfish," said Dennison,
soberly.

Dodge chuckled.

"Oysters and codfish! Say, you're all right! Never knew the old man had a
son until you blew in. Back in New York nobody ever said nothin' about
you. Where you been?"

"Lots of places."

"Any ridin'?"

"Some."

"Can you shoot?"

"A little."

"Kill any o' them Bolsheviks?"

"That would be guesswork. Did you ever kill a man?"

"Nope. Didn't have to. I'm pretty good on the draw, and where I come from
they knew it and didn't bother me."

"I see."

"Shootin' these days is all in the movies. I was ridin' for a film company
when your old man lassoed me for this job. Never know when you're well
off--huh? I thought there wouldn't be nothin' to do but grub pile three
times a day and the old man's cheroots in between. And here I be now,
ridin' along with a bunch of pirates! Whata you know about that? And some
of them nice boys, too. If they were riff-raff, barroom bums, I could get
a line on it. But I'll have to pass the buck."

"You haven't got an extra gun anywhere, have you?"

"We'd be headin' east if I had"--grimly. "I'd have pared down the odds
this mornin'. That _hombre_ with the hop-a-long didn't leave me a quill
toothpick. Was you thinkin' of startin' somethin'?"--hopefully.

"No, but I'd feel more comfortable if Miss Norman could carry a gun."

"Uh-huh. Say, she's all right. No hysterics. Ain't many of 'em that
wouldn't 'a' been snivellin' all day and night in her bunk. Been listenin'
to her readin'. Gee, you'd think we were floatin' round this codfish lake
just for the fun of it! She won't run to cover if a bust-up comes. None
whatever! And I bet she can cook, too. Them kind can always cook."

Conversation lapsed.

Below, Jane was passing through an unusual experience.

Said Cleigh at the start: "I'm going to show you the paintings--there are
fourteen in all. I will tell you the history of each. And above all,
please bear in mind the price of each picture."

"I'll remember."

But she thought the request an odd one, coming from the man as she knew
him.

Most of the treasures were in his own spacious cabin