iven him the location of Bassett's apartment house, and he
found it quickly. He was in a state of nervous irritability by that
time, for the sense of being a fugitive was constantly stressed in the
familiar streets by the danger of recognition. It was in vain that
he argued with himself that only the police were interested in his
movements, and the casual roundsman not at all. He found himself shying
away from them like a nervous horse.

But if he expected any surprise from Bassett he was disappointed. He
greeted him as if he had seen him yesterday, and explained his lack of
amazement in his first words.

"Doctor Livingstone telephoned me. Sit down, man, and let me look at
you. You've given me more trouble than any human being on earth."

"Sorry," Dick said awkwardly, "I seem to have a faculty of involving
other people in my difficulties."

"Want a drink?"

"No, thanks. I'll smoke, if you have any tobacco. I've been afraid to
risk a shop."

Bassett talked cheerfully as he found cigarettes and matches. "The old
boy had a different ring to his voice to-night. He was going down pretty
fast, Livingstone; was giving up the fight. But I fancy you've given
him a new grip on the earth." When they were seated, however, a sort of
awkwardness developed. To Dick, Bassett had been a more or less shadowy
memory, clouded over with the details and miseries of the flight. And
Bassett found Dick greatly altered. He was older than he remembered him.
The sort of boyishness which had come with the resurrection of his early
identity had gone, and the man who sat before him was grave, weary, and
much older. But his gaze was clear and direct.

"Well, a good bit of water has gone over the dam since we met," Bassett
said. "I nearly broke a leg going down that infernal mountain again.
And I don't mind telling you that I came within an ace of landing in the
Norada jail. They knew I'd helped you get away. But they couldn't prove
it."

"I got out, because I didn't see any need of dragging you down with
me. I was a good bit of a mess just then, but I could reason that out,
anyhow. It wasn't entirely unselfish, either. I had a better chance
without you. Or thought I did."

Bassett was watching him intently.

"Has it all come back?" he inquired.

"Practically all. Not much between the thing that happened at the ranch
and David Livingstone's picking me up at the cabin."

"Did it ever occur to you to wonder just how I got in on your secret