titude in the doorway. He waved a graceful salute.

"I want to see Bransford," said the sheriff.

"He ees esleepin'," said Monte.

"Well, I want to see him anyway!" The sheriff laid a brusk hand on the
gatelatch.

Monte waved his cigarette airily, flicked the ash from the end with a
slender finger, and once more demonstrated that the hand is quicker than
the eye. The portentously steady gun in the hand was the first
intimation to the eye that the hand had moved at all. It was a very
large gun as to caliber, the sheriff noted. As it was pointed directly
at his nose he was favorably situated to observe--looking along the
barrel--that the hammer stood at full cock.

"Per-rhaps you have some papers for heem?" suggested Monte, with gentle
and delicate deference. He still leaned against the doorjamb. "But eef
not eet ees bes' that you do not enter thees my leetle house to
distur-rb my gues'. That would be to commeet a r-rudeness--no?"

The sheriff was a sufficiently brave man, if not precisely a brilliant
one. Yet he showed now intelligence of the highest order. He dropped the
latch.

"You Billy, stop your laughing! Do you know, Mr. Monte, I think you are
quite right?" he observed, with a smiling politeness equal to Monte's
own. "That would be rude, certainly. My mistake. An Englishman's house
is his castle--that sort of thing? If you will excuse me now we will go
and get the papers, as you so kindly pointed out."

They went away, the sheriff, Billy and motives--Billy still laughing
immoderately.

Monte went inside and stirred up his guest with a prodding boot-toe.

"Meester Jeff," he demanded, "what you been a-doin' now?"

Jeff sat up, rumpled his hair, and rubbed his eyes.

"Sleepin'," he said.

"An' before? _Porque_, the sheriff he has been. To mek an arres' of you,
I t'eenk."

"Me?" said Jeff, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I haven't done
anything that I can remember now!"

"Sure? No small leetle cr-rime? Not las' night? Me, I jus' got up. I
have not hear'."

Jeff considered this suggestion carefully. "No. I am sure. Not for
years. Some mistake, I guess. Or maybe he just wanted to see me about
something else. Why didn't he come in?"

"I mek r-reques' of heem that he do not," said Monte.

"I see," Jeff laughed. "Come on; we'll go see him. You don't want to get
into trouble."

They crossed the bridge and met the sheriff just within the
fortifications, returning in a crowded automobile. Jeff held up