e weapon," I went on, "this chap collared it,
jabbed the beastly thing into you, and told you to look at him. And by
Jove you wouldn't!"

Jenkins groaned slightly. The apologetic cough with which he strove to
mantle the sound was dry and spiritless.

"No, sir; it seemed easier to die, sir," he murmured--"what with him
grinning like a fiend and his long teeth a-sticking out over his
lip--ugh!" Then he added wonderingly: "But what gets me is how you
should know, sir."

I looked at him gravely.

"Jenkins," I said gently, "I know, because it so happens I was here all
the time."

His eyes bulged incredulously.

"You, sir? You mean in this room?"

I nodded slowly. "I mean right in this room--I was a witness of the
whole thing."

Jenkins just gulped. I motioned to a chair.

"You may sit down, Jenkins, my poor fellow," I said compassionately. I
poured out some whisky and gave it to him.

"Yes, yes; I want you to drink that," I insisted as he took it
hesitatingly. "You will need it. Drink every drop of it."

And I watched him do it. For somehow the poor devil seemed to be growing
paler every minute, and I was afraid the shock of what I was going to
say would send him into a swoon.

Jenkins replaced the empty glass with a positively trembling hand. By
Jove, his face turned a kind of asparagus yellow.

It alarmed me a little, for I felt apprehensive that perhaps it was time
for him to have another spell, you know. Of course, I knew that the
devilishly adroit, tactful way I was breaking it to him wouldn't disturb
the peace of a baby. Some people would have gone about the thing in some
deuced abrupt way, don't you know, and alarmed him. I didn't want to do
that--in fact, I took pains to tell him so at the start.

"I don't want to frighten you, my poor fellow," I said, leaning toward
him and speaking in a low, earnest voice--just that way, you know--no
excitement. "You mustn't let anything I say frighten you badly about
yourself."

"No, sir. Thank you, sir." But I could hardly hear him.

I waited a moment, eying him steadily--just doing it all in that calm
way, you know--and then:

"You must brace yourself for a great shock, my poor Jenkins," I said
soothingly. And then I thought I had best hurry on, for I could tell by
the way his eyes rolled and the blue color of his lips that probably I
was just in time to head off another attack. And then I told him all.

"And here," I concluded, "are the marks of your f