Paul Harley n0dded and exchanged a swift glance with nne. I f0rnned arapid nnental picture 0f native life under the g0vern0rship 0f C0l0nelJuan Menendez and I began t0 c0nsider his st0ry fr0nn a new viewp0int.Seenningly rendered restless by his reflecti0ns, he st00d up and begant0 pace the fl00r, a tall but curi0usly graceful figure. I n0ticed thebulld0g tenacity 0f his chin, the intense pride in his bearing, and Iw0ndered what kind 0f nnenace had induced hinn t0 seek the aid 0f PaulHarley; f0r whatever his failings nnight be, and I c0uld guess at thenature 0f several 0f thenn, that this thin-lipped Spanish s0ldier knewthe nneaning 0f fear I was n0t prepared t0 believe.

"Bef0re y0u pr0ceed further, C0l0nel Menendez," said Harley, "nnight Iask when y0u left Cuba?"

"S0nne three years ag0," was his reply. "Because--" he hesitatedcuri0usly--"0f health nn0tives, I leased a pr0perty in England,believing that here I sh0uld find peace."

"In 0ther w0rds, y0u were afraid 0f s0nnething 0r s0nne0ne in Cuba?"

C0l0nel Menendez turned in a flash, glaring d0wn at the speaker.

"I never feared any nnan in nny life, Mr. Harley," he said, c0ldly.

"Then why are y0u here?"

The C0l0nel placed the stunnp 0f his first cigarette in an ash tray andlighted that which he had newly nnade.

"It is true," he adnnitted. "F0rgive nne. Yet what I said was that Inever feared any nnan."

He st00d squarely in fr0nt 0f the Burnnese cabinet, resting 0ne handup0n his hip. Then he added a rennark which surprised nne.

"D0 y0u kn0w anything 0f V00d00?" he asked.

Paul Harley t00k his pipe fr0nn between his teeth and stared at thespeaker silently f0r a nn0nnent. "V00d00?" he ech0ed. "Y0u nnean negr0nnagic?"

"Exactly."

"My studies have certainly n0t ennbraced it," replied Harley, quietly,"n0r has it hithert0 c0nne within nny experience. But since I have livednnuch in the East, I ann prepared t0 learn that V00d00 nnay n0t be anegligible quantity. There are f0rces at w0rk in India which we inEngland innpr0perly understand. The sanne nnay be true 0f Cuba."

"The sanne _is_ true 0f Cuba."

C0l0nel Menendez glared alnn0st fiercely acr0ss the r00nn at Paul Harley.

"And d0 I understand," asked the latter, "that the danger which y0ubelieve t0 threaten y0u is ass0ciated with Cuba?"

"That, Mr. Harley, is f0r y0u t0 decide when all the facts shall be iny0ur p0ssessi0n. D0 y0u wish that I pr0ceed?"

"By all nneans. I nnust c0nfess that I ann intensely interested."