too badly hurt to be moved. He sends word of it to Sir
Louis by an orderly who can be trusted to talk to any one he
meets on the way. I leave by the back way at ten forty-five.
However, here's a chance for you to practise deaf-and-dumb drill.
There's some one coming. Squat down in that corner. Look meek
and miserable. That's the stuff. Answer the door, Suliman."

Chapter Thirteen

"You may now be unsafe and an outlaw and enjoy yourself!"

The man who entered was a short, middle-aged Jew of the type that
writes political reviews for magazines--black morning coat, straw
hat, gold pince-nez--a neatly trimmed dark beard beginning to
turn gray from intense mental emotion--nearly bald--a manner of
conceding the conventions rather than argue the point, without
admitting any necessity for them--a thin-lipped smile that
apologized for smiling in a world so serious and bitter. He wore
a U.S.A. ten-dollar gold piece on his watch chain, by way of
establishing his nationality.

"Well, Mr. Eisernstein? Trouble again? Sit down and let's hear
the worst," said Grim.

Eisernstein remained standing and glanced at me over in the
corner.

"I will wait until you are alone."

"Ignore him--deaf and dumb," Grim answered. "Half a minute,
though--have you had breakfast?"

"Breakfast! This is no time for eating, Mister--I beg your
pardon, Major Grim. I have not slept. I shall not break
my fast until my duty is done. If it is true that the Emperor
Nero fiddled while Rome burned, then I find him no worse than
this Administrator!"

"Has he threatened to crucify you?" Grim asked. "Take a
seat, do."

"He may crucify me, and I will thank him, if he will only in
return for it pay some attention to the business for which he
draws a salary! I drove to Headquarters to see him. He was not
there. Nobody would tell me where he is. I drove down again
from the Mount of Olives and luckily caught sight of his car in
the distance. I contrived to intercept him. I told him there is
a plot on foot to massacre every individual of my race in the
Near East--a veritable pogrom. He was polite. He seems to think
politeness is the Christian quality that covers the multitude of
sins. He offered me a cigar!

"I offered him a telegram blank, with which to cable for
reenforcements! He said that all rumours in Jerusalem become
exaggerated very quickly, and offered me a guard of one soldier
to follow me about! I insisted on im