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CHAPTER XVII.
ONE MORE A'l"l‘F.MPT.
It seemed to Tom as if he could not possibly wait until
the next morning to start.
But there was no help for it.
He had no preparations in particular to make for the
journey-all that had been left to Monsieur Durand-
and he spent hours in nervously pacing the tioor of his
room.
“Sure, Misther Tom,” said Pat, at last, “why don't ye
take it more aisy loike? Ye won't get there anny sooner
fer tirin’ yersilf out now. Sure, it’s slilape an‘ not exer-
cise ye do be nadin’.”
Torn laughed.
“I know it, Pat,” he said. “but I can’t keep quiet, and
it's no use trying. I guess I'll go out and take a walk."
“Shall I go wid ye, sorr ?"
“No-no, remain here; I shall be back soon."
“But, Misther Tom ” the Irishman began, anx-
iously.
“Now you're thinking about Duffield, I suppose?" in-
terrupted Tom.
“Ye’re roight, sorr, I am. The villains here, an‘ he’s
moighty little toinie lift ter do his divil’s work in. He’ll
be on the watch fer ye. sorr. an’ I'm t‘inkin' ye'd betther
let me go wid ye.”
“No, no, I don’t need you, Pat. Don’t fret; I've escaped
him thus far, and I doii’t intend to allow myself to be-
come his victim at the last minute. Stay here; I shall
come back safe and sound."
And Tom left the room hurriedly to avoid any further
discussion of the matter.
It was a calm, beautiful evening, and our hero enjoyed
his stroll more than he had expected.
Gradually the nervous, overwrought feeling, caused by
the unwonted excitement of the day, wore away under
the influence of the strange scenes with which he found
himself surrounded, and he began even to ask himself if
it would not be advisable to prolong his stay in Yokohama
a few hours in order to visit some of the points of in-
terest.
The custom house is situated exactly in the center of
the city of Yokohama. On the east of it lie the foreign,
and on the west the native quarters.
It was in the latter direction that Tom bent his foot
steps.
"VVell," he said to himself, at last, “I guess I've seen
enough for to-night. I'm getting pretty tired, and as
I've got to start on my journey at sunrise, I don't believe
I can do better than go back to the hotel and try to get a
few hours’ sleep."
He turned, and found himself face to face with Burton
Duffielcl.
He was considerably startled, but be preserved a per-
fectly cool demeanor as he said:
“So it's you, is it, you villain
“Yes, it is I, Tom Pinkncy.
er-caperl me, didn't you?"
“I was under that impression."
“VVell, you see you were wrong. I don't follow a man
halfway round the world to let him get away from me at
the last minute.”
You thought you had
BRAVE AND HOLD.
“Your employer, my worthy uncle. Daniel Cr::i‘.'?=ril.
ought to congratulate himself on your tidelity," S!ix‘t'1'L‘Il
Tom. “You are as persistent as you are cowardly."
“All this chin music don't make any difference to inc."
said Dufiield, with a dark frown. “Do you know wliere
you are ?"
“I think I do.”
“I don't think you do. This is one of the worst quare
ters of the city."
“That’s why I find you here, I suppose?" Stlggcitctl
Tom.
“Quiet as the place seems. we are surrounded by il‘it‘1l
wflio would murder you for a few pence, and think nothi.ig.,'
o it.”
“Are, you thinking of sub-letting the job ?" asked our
hero. “If so, I‘d advise you not to do it."
“No," said Duffield, evidently angered by the boy's cool
way of treating the matter, "I'm goingito do the jib
myself."
“You are, eh?
failure of it.”
“I shall not. That dying machine will start witliout
you, if, in reality, it starts at all."
“YOU thillk SO, do you? Well, now then, l'i‘.‘.I‘I()I!
Duffield, step aside and let me pass."
lVith a lightning-like rapidity, Duffield drew a long,
keen-edged knife. I ‘
lint Tom was as quick as he, and caught his arm so
sud(le'nly'aii(l unexpectedly that the weapon was sen’
spmiiing in the air. A moment later it fell to the ground
several feet distant. Then the two youths clinched, Dufr
field was Tom's physical superior in some respects, but
our hero. although weakened bv his recent illness. was
an adept at wrestling". and in less than ten seconds llilil
thrown his antagonist.
It happened that as he fell Duffield's head struck a
stone with such force as to render him unconscious.
Tom picked up the knife.
fl EllI1‘i0St'lJEl1(‘VQ," he said, looking down upon llii‘
31”‘ 9”Cm.‘v that I-should be Justified in ridding tllt’
world of such a villain as you. But, wretch though I
know you to be, I could not do it. Now then to see
if its as hard to find a policeman in Yokohama when
you want one, as it is in New York." I
1aSItt:ur:3c"e::1et(‘1’ ?;rE(,f1<:iC:1(:Ie:1ll1 harder, and when Tom at
made his escape. P3 6 authorities Dufiield had
Sure, .IVI1StI'1CI‘ Tom." said Pat. when our hero had
related lllS‘a(lVCn.t1'1I‘C and exliibited the knife he l1i1<I
captured. ‘that divil wonit let us lave the place wM(,,,,
:(I;:tvISI“:nFIlttg1e111;1te.‘11 Iiegorra, siiiceit's so aisy mr fly i'iov.>
us.) ’ ‘ y get up a machine av his own and folly
IVell, you know you might niake 1:
“I hardly think that’s likely"
Pat, we’d better "
all to-night."
They did not get much
nearly all night, in ex I
part of the enemy,
sleep more than five
said Tom,
“But now.
get to bed. or W
e shall get no sleep HY
after all, for Pat lay awake
pectation of an invasion on the
and Tom was too much excited W
. , , ' "I I011 minutes at a time.
And in his brief intervals of g]
dreams. in which Du i
prominent parts.
umber he was visited I7,"
ffield and Monsieur Durand played