I know--hopeless they said I was. But they brought in a young doctor.
Now look at me. Little. I never grew big--but hard, Henry, as leather!"

And he sprang to his feet. And knowing that Donnegan had begun life as a
cripple it was easy to appreciate certain things about his expression--a
cold wistfulness, and his manner of reading the minds of men. Lord Nick
was like a man in a dream. He dragged Donnegan back to the bunk and
forced him to sit down with the weight of his arms. And he could not
keep his hands from his younger brother. As though he were blind and had
to use the sense of touch to reassure him.

"I heard lies. They said everybody was dead. I thought--"

"The fever killed them all, except me. Uncle Toby took me in. He was a
devil. Helped me along, but I left him when I could. And--"

"Don't tell me any more. All that matters is that I have you at last,
Garry. Heaven knows it's a horrible thing to be kithless and kinless,
but I have you now! Ah, lad, but the old pain has left its mark on you.
Poor Garry!"

Donnegan shuddered.

"I've forgotten it. Don't bring it back."

"I keep feeling that you should be in that chair."

"I know. But I'm not. I'm hard as nails, I tell you."

He leaped to his feet again.

"And not so small as you might think, Henry!"

"Oh, big enough, Garry. Big enough to paralyze The Corner, from what
I've heard."

"I've been playing a game with 'em, Henry. And now--if one of us could
clear the road, what will we do together? Eh?"

The smile of Lord Nick showed his teeth.

"Haven't I been hungry all my life for a man like you, lad? Somebody to
stand and guard my back while I faced the rest of the world?"

"And I'll do my share of the facing, too."

"You will, Garry. But I'm your elder."

"Man, man! Nobody's my elder except one that's spent half his life--as I
have done!"

"We'll teach you to forget the pain I'll make life roses for you,
Garry."

"And the fools outside thought--"

Donnegan broke into a soundless laughter, and, running to the door,
opened it a fraction of an inch and peeped out.

"They're standing about in a circle. I can see 'em gaping. Even from
here. What will they think, Henry?"

Lord Nick ground his teeth.

"They'll think I've backed down from you," he said gloomily. "They'll
think I've taken water for the first time."

"Why, confound 'em, the first man that opens his head--"

"I know, I know. You'd fill his mouth with lead, and so would I. Bu