d.

Rivers snapped his fingers. "That's right! I sold both of those pistols
at about the same time; a gentleman in Chicago got the Murdoch. The
Strahan had a star-pierced lobe on the hammer. Did you ever get anybody
to translate the Gaelic inscription on the barrel?"

"You've a memory like Jim Farley," Rand flattered. "The inscription was
the clan slogan of the Camerons; something like: _Sons of the hound, come
and get flesh!_ I won't attempt the original."

"Mr. Rand just bought 6524, the Leech & Rigdon .36," Gillis interjected,
handing Rivers the card and the money. Rivers looked at both, saw how
much Rand had been taken for, and nodded.

"A nice item," he faintly praised, as though anything selling for less
than a hundred dollars was so much garbage. "Considering the condition in
which Confederate arms are usually found, it's really first-rate. I think
you'll like it, Mr. Rand."

The telephone rang, Cecil Gillis answered it, listened for a moment, and
then said: "For you, Mr. Rivers; long distance from Milwaukee."

Rivers's face lit with the beatific smile of a cat at a promising
mouse-hole. "Ah, excuse me, Mr. Rand." He crossed to the desk, picked
up the phone and spoke into it. "This is Arnold Rivers," he said, much
as Edward Murrow used to say, _This--is London!_ The telephone sputtered
for a moment. "Ah, yes indeed, Mr. Verral. Quite well, I thank you. And
you?... No, it hasn't been sold yet. Do you wish me to ship it to
you?... On approval; certainly.... Of course it's an original flintlock;
I didn't list it as re-altered, did I?... No, not at all; the only
replacement is the small spring inside the patchbox.... Yes, the rifling
is excellent.... Of course; I'll ship it at once.... Good-by, Mr.
Verral."

He hung up and turned to his hireling, fairly licking his chops.

"Cecil, Mr. Verral, in Milwaukee, whose address we have, has just ordered
6288, the F. Zorger flintlock Kentuck. Will you please attend to it?"

"Right away, Mr. Rivers." Gillis went to one of the racks under the
windows and selected a long flintlock rifle, carrying it out the door at
the rear.

"I issued a list, a few days ago," Rivers told Rand. "When Cecil comes
back, I'll have him get you a copy. I've been receiving calls ever since;
this is the twelfth long-distance call since Tuesday."

"Business must be good," Rand commented. "I understand you've offered to
buy the Lane Fleming collection. For ten thousand dollars."

"Where did