er, rape, or what?' I wanted to hear
what he would have to say for himself, though of course I expected it
would be some sort of lie. But all he said was--

"'Make it what you like. I deny nothing. It is no good denying
anything.'

"I looked him over carefully and a thought struck me.

"'They've got anarchists there, too,' I said. 'Perhaps you're one of
them.'

"'I deny nothing whatever, monsieur,' he repeats.

"This answer made me think that perhaps he was not an anarchist. I
believe those damned lunatics are rather proud of themselves. If he had
been one, he would have probably confessed straight out.

"'What were you before you became a convict?'

"'Ouvrier,' he says. 'And a good workman, too.'

"At that I began to think he must be an anarchist, after all. That's the
class they come mostly from, isn't it? I hate the cowardly bomb-throwing
brutes. I almost made up my mind to turn my horse short round and leave
him to starve or drown where he was, whichever he liked best. As to
crossing the island to bother me again, the cattle would see to that. I
don't know what induced me to ask--

"'What sort of workman?'

"I didn't care a hang whether he answered me or not. But when he said
at once, 'Mecanicien, monsieur,' I nearly jumped out of the saddle with
excitement. The launch had been lying disabled and idle in the creek for
three weeks. My duty to the company was clear. He noticed my start,
too, and there we were for a minute or so staring at each other as if
bewitched.

"'Get up on my horse behind me,' I told him. 'You shall put my
steam-launch to rights.'"

These are the words in which the worthy manager of the Maranon estate
related to me the coming of the supposed anarchist. He meant to keep
him--out of a sense of duty to the company--and the name he had given
him would prevent the fellow from obtaining employment anywhere in
Horta. The vaqueros of the estate, when they went on leave, spread it
all over the town. They did not know what an anarchist was, nor yet what
Barcelona meant. They called him Anarchisto de Barcelona, as if it were
his Christian name and surname. But the people in town had been reading
in their papers about the anarchists in Europe and were very much
impressed. Over the jocular addition of "de Barcelona" Mr. Harry
Gee chuckled with immense satisfaction. "That breed is particularly
murderous, isn't it? It makes the sawmills crowd still more afraid of
having anything to do with hi