41 It was discovered later that the large weighted gold handle, which was nearly eight inches long, was loose and could be easily removed from the stick. The handle weighed nearly two pounds and, as Vance had observed, constituted a highly efficient “black jack.” Whether or not it had been loosened for the purpose to which it was put, is of course wholly a matter of conjecture. [↩︎]
Transcriber Notes
This transcription follows the text of the first edition published by Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1929. However, the following alterations have been made to correct what are believed to be unambiguous errors in the text:
- “eighty yerds” has been corrected to “eighty yards” (Chapter II);
- a duplicated period has been removed (Chapter III);
- “roundalays” has been corrected to “roundelays” (Chapter VII);
- “He ’ll” has been corrected to “He’ll” (Chapter XVIII);
- “asquiesced” has been corrected to “acquiesced” (Chapter XXIV).