an assure you."

"Awfully sorry, old chap, no offence, I assure you," said Cleek, more
asinine than ever, as Zuilika, having picked up the piece and looked at
it, disclaimed all knowledge of it, and laid it on the edge of the table
without any further interest in it or him. "Just to show, you know, that
I--er--couldn't have meant anything disrespectful, why--er--you all
know, don't you know, how jolly much I respect Senorita Rosario, by
Jove! and so--Here, senorita, you catch, too, and see if the blessed
thing's yours." And, picking up the coin, tossed it into her lap just as
he had done with Zuilika.

She, too, caught it and examined it, and laughingly shook her head.

"No--not mine!" she said. "I have not seen him before. To the finder
shall be the keep. Come, sit here. Will you have the tea?"

"Yes, thanks," said Cleek; then dropped down on the sofa beside her, and
took tea as serenely as though there were no such things in the world as
murder and swindling and puzzling police-riddles to solve.

And the Major, staring at him, was as amazed as ever. He had said, last
night, that when the coin fell the answer would be given--and yet it had
fallen, and nothing had happened, and he was laughing and flirting with
Senorita Rosario as composedly and as persistently as ever. More than
that; after he had finished his second cup of tea, and immediately
following the sound of someone just beyond the verandah rail whistling
the lively, lilting measures of "There's a Girl Wanted There"--the
"silly ass" seemed to become a thousand times sillier than ever; for he
forthwith set down his cup, and, turning to Anita, said with an inane
sort of giggle, "I say, you know, here's a lark. Let's have a game of
'Slap Hand,' you and I--what? Know it, don't you? You try to slap my
hands, and I try to slap yours, and whichever succeeds in doing it first
gets a prize. Awful fun, don't you know. Come on--start her up."

And, Anita agreeing, they fell forthwith to slapping away at the backs
of each other's hands with great gusto, until, all of a sudden, the
whistler outside gave one loud, shrill note, and--there was a great and
mighty change.

Those who were watching saw Anita's two hands suddenly caught, heard a
sharp, metallic "click," and saw them as suddenly dropped again to the
accompaniment of a shrill little scream from her ashen lips, and the
next moment Cleek had risen and jumped away from her side--clear across
to where Zuilika was