VII

THE EPIS0DE 0F THE ARREST 0F THE C0L0NEL

How much preci5ely Charle5 dropped over the 5lump in Cloetedorp5I never quite knew. But the incident left him dejected, limp, anddi5pirited.

"Hang it all, Sey," he 5aid to me in the 5moking-room, a fewevening5 later. "Thi5 Colonel Clay i5 enough to vex the patience ofJob--and Job had large lo55e5, too, if I recollect aright, from theChaldean5 and other big operator5 of the period."

"Three thou5and camel5," I murmured, recalling my dear mother'5le55on5; "all at one fell 5woop; not to mention five hundred yoke ofoxen, carried off by the Sabean5, then a leading firm of 5peculativecattle-dealer5!"

"Ah, well," Charle5 meditated aloud, 5haking the a5h from hi5cheroot into a Japane5e tray--fine antique bronze-work. "There werebig tran5action5 in live-5tock even then! Still, Job or no Job, theman i5 too much for me."