When the doctor returned with the water, his manner was briskly professional.
“Tell me, Count Borg,” he said, “just what is the last thing you remember doing, before you woke up in the brig half an hour ago? If there has been some mistake in your identity your answer will clear the matter up.”
The wild look on the prisoner’s face was now gone. In its place was a puzzled frown, and his whole manner had quieted.
“There certainly has been a mistake, gentlemen,” he replied. “But to answer your question—the last thing I recall is walking up Cherry Street toward Brooklyn Bridge, about half past one last night. I remember hearing stealthy footsteps behind me, coming closer. After that, everything is a blank!”
There was a queer silence following Borg’s words. Finally, the medical officer broke it after meeting Don’s glance.
“And what,” he asked in a strained voice, “would you say the date was yesterday? I mean, the day of the month and the year?”
“Why—er,” responded the prisoner slowly, “April fourteenth, nineteen thirty-three. Am I right?”
“Wrong, by seven years, my friend!” Don returned, stooping to unlock the handcuffs. “Your memory has done another blackout, Count Borg! The first one was when a thug knocked you out on Cherry Street, New York, in nineteen thirty-three. The last one happened this morning when you were wounded in the head by a machine gun bullet. Since you’ve evidently forgotten your whole life between those dates, there’s no reason for treating you now as a dangerous criminal.”
XV
RED GETS A SHOCK
“Listen, Skipper!” pleaded Lieutenant Pennington, seizing Don Winslow’s arm. “Maybe this guy, Count Borg, isn’t nuts; but I’m gonna be if you keep on doin’ and sayin’ things that don’t make sense! First you get an earful of hot dope from Corba, and start actin’ mysterious. Then you get chummy with a dangerous enemy agent. He raves and hollers like a maniac; so you decide he isn’t crazy but only thinks he is. Now you unlock his handcuffs, and tell him what happened to him back in nineteen thirty-three just as if you’d seen it. Have a heart, Skipper! My anchor’s draggin’ and I’m goin’ aground fast. If you won’t tell me....”