y cordial. For all his massiveness of contour
and boisterous manner of speech, I felt that this new-made friend of
mine had a warm heart. He dealt me an unnecessarily violent but
affectionate blow between the shoulders, and as I reeled from the shock,
gasping for breath, he cried out in his uncouth but kindly way:

"Little one, that's a swell idea--let's you and me go to it!" Note--By
_it_, he undoubtedly meant breakfast.

With these words he lifted his luggage consisting of a large black box
securely bound with straps and padlocked as to the hasp, telling me at
the same time that he doubted whether any human being in the world save
himself could stir it from the floor; for, as he vouchsafed, it
contained not only his costume but also a set of juggling devices of
solid iron, weighing in the aggregate an incredible number of pounds. I
have forgotten the exact figures, but my recollection is that he said
upward of a thousand pounds net. As he shouldered this mighty burden he
remarked to me over his shoulder:

"I guess I'm bad--eh?"

However, as I have just explained and now reiterate, I am convinced he
was not bad at all, but good at bottom; so I contented myself by
saying:

"No, no; quite the contrary, I am sure."

As we emerged from the billiard room into the small entrance hall or
lobby that adjoined it, I was struck with the air of silence which
prevailed. The proprietor was not visible; no other person was visible.
Once more I called out, saying: "Hello, my good man! Where are you?" or
words to that effect; but only echo answered. I fared to the dining
room, but not a living soul was in sight there. Beset by a sudden dread
suspicion I hastily ascended the stairs to the upper floor and sped
through an empty corridor to the two rooms wherein my eight wards had
been lodged. The doors of both chambers stood open; but the interiors,
though showing signs of recent occupancy, were deserted. I even explored
the closets--no one there, either! Conjecture was succeeded by alarm and
alarm by outright distress.

Where had they gone? Where had everybody gone? Unbidden and unanswered,
these questions leaped to my bewildered brain, firing it with horrible
forebodings.

Sounds of loud and excited outcry came reverberatively to me from below.
With all possible speed I retraced my steps to the entrance hall. There
I beheld the proprietor in close physical contact with Zeno the Great,
striving with all his powers to restrain t