He planted himself at a window that overlooked the traffic of an alley, and stood frowning and stroking his chin. A clock on the wall ticked monotonously; for a space this was the only sound in the room, but gradually Anthony became aware of another—a sort of sniggering; he turned and saw Magruder, still with the dirty look of fear upon him, but shaking with laughter.
"The man's mad!" Anthony told himself. "I was a fool to give any heed to him in the first place."
"So you found it a puzzle, did you?" chuckled the trader. "Its meaning was hard to come at, eh?" There was a slinking gratification in his voice, and his grin had in it a sort of cowering pleasure. "Of course, you did. The writing of that letter cost me a deal of trouble; I desired it to say little and you to infer much; it was framed to safeguard me against any such misadventure as that which has happened. I should have remembered that; for I have no ground for uneasiness—none, whatever."
Anthony promptly put aside all idea of madness; he sat down, crossed his booted legs, eased himself back in his chair, and fell to studying the other with a shrewd narrowing of his eyes.
Anthony was a tall young man, lean and hard, and with a body of supple power. His face was long; but when he smiled it lit up wonderfully; his hair was trimmed short, giving him the "Brutus head" then slowly coming into fashion. There was something about him that suggested outdoors; he had the keen, ready look of one who knew the wilderness, and the savages thereof, who had faced torrent and desert, and mountains and seas, in quest of those hard-won things that are the jewels of the world's trade.
"From what you have said," spoke the young man, at length, "but more especially from how you've looked, I draw that you have a dread of being known in this matter."
"Outside there in the docks," said Magruder, "there are a score or more of fine, deep-water ships; on the wharves and in the warehouses there are much rich stuffs. But if they, to the last block and spar, to the last bale and barrel, were offered me as the price of making it known that I'd brought you north, as I have, I'd refuse."
Anthony cocked a shrewd eye at him.
"That," said he, "is keeping your mouth close shut, indeed."
"It is," said the West Indian merchant. He shook a skinny, warning finger. "And if you are wise you'll be equally cautious."