he said gravely. "Pardon
the question--did you feel a curious and unaccountable inclination to
raise your right hand and salute me?"

"Did I--what?" demanded his dumbfounded superior.

"A sort of itching of the right arm--an almost overpowerin' inclination
to touch your hat to poor old Bones?"

Hamilton drew a long breath. "I felt an almost overpowering desire to
lift my foot," he said significantly.

"Look at me again," said Bones calmly. "Fix your eyes on mine an' think
of nothin'. Now shut your eyes. Now you can't open 'em."

"Of course I can open them," said Hamilton. "Have you been drinking,
Bones?"

A burst of delighted laughter from the girl checked Bones's indignant
denial. "I know!" she cried, clapping her hands. "Bones is trying to
mesmerize you!"

"What?"

The scarlet face of Bones betrayed him.

"Power of the human eye, dear old sir," he said hurriedly. "Some people
have it--it's a gift. I discovered it the other day after readin' an
article in _The Scientific Healer_."

"Phew!" Hamilton whistled. "So," he said, with dangerous calm, "all this
staring and gaping of yours means that, does it? I remember now. When I
was examining you for promotion the other day, you stared. Trying to
mesmerize me?"

"Let bygones be bygones, dear old friend," begged Bones.

"And when I asked you to produce the company pay-sheets, which you
forgot to bring up to date, you stared at me!"

"It's a gift," said Bones feebly.

"Oh, Bones," said the girl slowly, "you stared at me, too, after I
refused to go picnicking with you on the beach."

"All's fair in love an' war," said Bones vaguely. "It's a wonderful
gift."

"Have you ever mesmerized anybody?" asked Hamilton curiously, and Bones
brightened up.

"Rather, dear old sir," he said. "Jolly old Ali, my secretary--goes off
in a regular trance on the slightest provocation. Fact, dear old Ham."

Hamilton clapped his hands, and his orderly, dozing in the shade of the
verandah, rose up. "Go, bring Ali Abid," said Hamilton. And when the man
had gone: "Are you under the illusion that you made the sentry present
arms to you, and Abiboo's woman dance for you, by the magic of your
eye?"

"You saw," said the complacent Bones. "It's a wonderful gift, dear old
Ham. As soon as I read the article, I tried it on Ali. Got him, first
pop!"

The girl was bubbling with suppressed laughter, and there was a twinkle
in Sanders's eye. "I recall that you saw me in connection with