He drew his hand across his forehead, pinching his temples.
"Curiously enough, I am! I'm quite hopeless, and I don't care in the least! So don't let's waste time!"
He started to crank the machine; but she stopped him.
"There was a woman?" she said.
"Yes, but not in the first place." He turned to her, puzzled. "Why do you want to make me talk?"
"I don't know; I do!"
"What's your name?"
She hesitated.
"Dodo."
"I like that!" he said reflectively. "So you are really interested? And you don't know our story? Lord! That's funny! I thought every one knew the story of the Lindaberry boys! We certainly raised enough Cain! Do you know, I really was a damned nice sort of kid—men adored me!" He drew in his breath reflectively, conjuring up, with a tolerant smile, a picture out of forgotten days. "Yes, a real decent cuss who'd have done something if he'd had half a chance! There's only one thing I love in this world—a fight; and they took it all away from me!