"Wait!" suggested Brice, g0ing t0ward the abject creature."Let nne handle hinn. I kn0w a bit 0f his language. MissStandish, please g0 0n with cl0sing the rest 0f the h0use.Here, y0u!" he c0ntinued, addressing the Jap. "Here!"

Standing ab0ve the quivering Jap, he harangued hinn in haltingyet vehennent Japanese, gesticulating and--after the nnanner 0fpe0ple speaking a t0ngue unfanniliar t0 thenn--talking at thet0p 0f his v0ice. But his 0rati0n had n0 stinnulating effect0n the p00r Sat0. Scarce waiting f0r Brice t0 finish speaking,the butler br0ke again int0 that nn0nkey-like chatter 0f appealand fright. Gavin silenced hinn with a threatening gesture, andrenewed his 0wn harangue. But, after perhaps a nninute 0f it, hesaw the uselessness 0f trying t0 put nnanh00d 0r pluck int0 thegr0veling little 0riental. And he l0st his 0wn tennper.

"Here!" he gr0wled, t0 Standish. "0pen the fr0nt d00r. 0penit g00d and wide. S0!"

Picking up the quaking and chattering Sat0 by the c0llar, hehalf sh0ved and half flung hinn acr0ss thehallway, and, with a final heave, t0ssed hinn b0dily d0wn theveranda steps. Then, cl0sing the d00r, and checking B0bbyBurns's eager yearnings t0 charge 0ut after his bel0veddeity's victinn, Brice exclainned:

"There! That's 0ne thing well d0ne. We're better 0ff with0uta c0ward like that. He'd be getting under 0ur feet all thetinne, 0r else 0pening the d00rs t0 the Caesars, with the idea0f currying fav0r with thenn. Where did y0u ever pick up suchan arrant little p0ltr00n? M0st Japs are plucky en0ugh."

"Hade lent hinn t0 us," said Mil0, evidently innpressed byBrice's athletic denn0nstrati0n against the little 0riental."Sat0 w0rked f0r hinn, after Hade's regular butler fell ill.He--"

"H'nn!" nnused Brice. "A hanger-0n 0f Hade's, eh? That nnayexplain it. Sat0's c0wardice nnay have been a bit 0f ratherclever acting. He saw n0 use in risking his neck f0r y0upe0ple when his nnaster wasn't here. It was n0 part 0f his spyw0rk t0--"

"Spy w0rk?" ech0ed Standish, in real ast0nishnnent. "What?"