“Well, you did get in with a pretty stiff crowd after becoming acquainted with me; but I was to blame for all that.”

“Yes,” smiled the Abyssinian, “and I rank high as a priest at home.”

“You old hypocrite!”

Ajeeb’s brow darkened.

“No,” he said; “you misjudge me; I but joked when I spoke of breaking commandments of my faith. We take a different view of sin to the outer world, my friend.”

“Don’t tell me anything about religion,” said Barry. “What did you come to this country for?”

“To run down a man.”

“Have you succeeded?”

“In running him down, yes,” replied Ajeeb; “but he refuses to return that which he stole from our temple.”

“What did he steal?”