e second by Mic-co's pool, the third was subtly
linked with the marshes of Glynn, and a fourth had been furtively added
in the camp of his cousin. Now with a glance at Wherry's letters, he
was quietly carving a fifth. Who may say what they portended--this
record of notches carved upon the one friend who had always understood!

Carl was to carve another, of which he little dreamed, before the
summer waned; and the spur to its making was close at hand.

The doorbell rang as he finished, and dropping the flute back into his
pocket, he rang for some whiskey and cigars for the entertainment of
Mr. Dorrigan, who presently appeared, at the heels of a servant,
twirling his hat with a nonchalant ease much too elaborate and at
variance with the look in his good eye to be genuine.

"'Lo!" said Hunch uncomfortably.

"Hello!" said Carl pleasantly, pushing the decanter across the table.

Hunch stared at his host, fidgeted, poured himself a generous drink and
waited suggestively.

Carl merely laughed good-humoredly and lighted a cigar.

"Sorry, Hunch," he regretted, "but I've joined the Lithia League!"

"My Gawd!" burst forth Hunch despairingly, adding in heartfelt memory
of his host's enviable steadiness of head, "My Gawd, Carl, what a waste
o' talents!"

Carl laughed.

"Sit down," he invited, "and get it off your mind."

But Hunch's single eye was wandering in fascinated appraisal over
Carl's dark, pleasant face. Even he, coarse and brutal in perception
as he was, was conscious of a difference not wholly attributable to the
Lithia League and felt himself impelled to some verbal recognition of
his host's conspicuous well-being.

"Ye're on the level all right," he swore obscurely. "Ye're white!
Ye're lookin' good, ye're lookin' fine-- By the Lord Harry, Carl, I
don't know as I blame yuh!"

Unable to fathom the nature of the censure thus withheld, Carl remained
silent and Hunch fell again to staring, his immovable eye ridiculously
expressive in stony conjunction with the other. Whatever he found in
Carl's face this time plainly afforded him intense relief, for he
seated himself with a long breath and drew a yellowish paper from his
pocket.

"I says to meself," he explained, "'Hunch, old sport, ye're in for it.
He'll like as not drop yuh out of the window with an electric wire,
feed yuh to an electric wolf or make yuh play hell-for-a-minute chess
or some other o' them woozy stunts 'at pop up in his bean like
mush