“Leave a cigar lying around an office like that. Somebody might walk in any minute and take it away. I can’t watch your cigars all day.”
He picked up the cigar, and before Foray could prevent it, lighted it and began to smoke. Foray laughed.
“Help yourself, Captain, and if there is any trouble you will find a revolver on the table.”
“I see,” said Thorne, “but what makes you think there is going to be trouble?”
“Oh, well there might be.”
“Been having a bad dream?” asked the Captain nonchalantly.
“No, but you never can tell. All sorts of things are liable to happen in an office like this, and——.”
“That’s right,” said Thorne, puffing away at his cigar, “you never can tell. But see here. If you never can tell when you are going to have trouble you had better take that gun along with you. I have one of my own.”
“Well,” said the operator, “if you have one of your own, I might as well.”
He took the revolver up and tucked it in his belt. “Look out for yourself, Captain. Good-bye. I will be back as soon as the President gives me that despatch. That despatch I have just finished is for the Commissary General’s Office, but it can wait until the morning.”