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Sweat began to drop from Karlov's beetling eyebrows。
〃You will fail miserably here。 Why？ Because the Americans are the
greatest of individual property owners。 The sense of possession is
satisfied。 And woe to the fool who suggests they surrender this。
Little wooden houses； thousands and thousands of them； with a small
plot of ground in the rear where a man in the springtime may dig his
hands into the soil and say gratefully to God； 'Mine； mine！' I； too；
am a Russ。 I thought in the beginning that you would take this
country as an example； a government of the people； by the people；
for the people。 Wrongs？ Yes。 But day by day these wrongs are
being righted。 No lesson in this for Trotzky； a beer…hall orator
like yourself。 Ten million men drafted to carry arms。 Did they
revolt？ Shoulder to shoulder the selected millions marched to the
great ships； shoulder to shoulder they pressed toward the Rhine。
No lesson in that！
〃Capitalism； seeking to save its loans； you rant！ Capitalism of
blood and money that asked only for simple justice to mankind。 The
ideal of a great people … a mixture of all bloods； even German！ No
lessons in these tremendous happenings！ And you babble about your
damned proletariat who represents the dregs of Russia。 What is he？
The inefficient； whining that the other man has the luck； so kill
him！ Russia； the kindly ox； fallen among wolves！ You cannot tear
down the keystone of civilization … which took seven thousand years
to construct … insert it upside down； and expect the arch to stand。
You have your chance to prove your theories。 Prove them in
Petrograd and Moscow； and you will not have to go forth with the
torch。 And what is this torch but the hidden fear that you may be
wrong？ 。。。 To wreck the world before you are found out！ You are
idiots； and you have turned Russia into a madhouse！ Spawns from
the dung…heap！〃
〃Damn you； Stefani Gregor！〃 Karlov rushed to the cot； raised his
terrible fists； his chest heaving。 Gregor waited。 〃No； no！ You
wish to die！〃 The madman swung on his heels and dashed toward the
door； sweeping the pieces of the violin to the floor as he passed
the table。
Gregor feebly drew himself back upon his cot and laid his face in
the pillow。
〃Ivan … my violin … all that I knew and loved … gone！ And God will
not let me die！〃
CHAPTER XXI
》From a window in one of the vacant warehouses； twenty…odd feet away
Cutty； from an oblique angle； had witnessed the peculiar drama
without being able to grasp head or tail to it。 For two hours he
had crouched behind his window； watching the man on the cot and
wondering if he would ever turn his face toward the candlelight。
Then Karlov had entered。 Gregor's ironic calm … with the exception
of the time he had bared his throat … and Karlov's tempestuous exit
baffled him。 To the eye it had the appearance of a victory for
Gregor and a defeat for Karlov； but Cutty had long ago ceased to
believe his eyes without some corroborative evidence of auricular
character。
He had recognized both men。 Karlov answered to Kitty's description
as an old glove answers to the hand。 And no man； once having seen
Gregor； could possibly forget his picturesque head。 The old chap
was alive！ This fact made the night's adventure tally one hundred
per cent。 How to get a cheery word to him； to buck him up with；
the promise of help？ A hard nut to crack； so many obstacles。
Primarily； this was a Federal affair。 Yonder hid the werewolf and
his pack； and it would be folly to send them scattering just for the
sake of advising Gregor that he was being watched over。
Underneath the official obligation there was a personal interest in
not risking the game to warn Gregor。 Cutty was now positive that
the drums of jeopardy were hidden somewhere in this house。 To
perform three acts； then： Save Gregor； capture Karlov and his pack；
and privately confiscate the emeralds。 Findings were keepings。 No
compromise regarding those green stones。 It would not particularly
hurt his reputation with St。 Peter to play the half rogue once in
a lifetime。 Besides； St。 Peter； hadn't he stolen something himself
back there in the Biblical days ； or got into a scrape or something？
The old boy would understand。 Cutty grinned in the dark。
Any obsession is a blindfold。 A straight course lay open to Cutty；
but he chose the labyrinthian because he was obsessed。 He wanted
those emeralds。 Nothing less than the possession of them would； to
his thinking； round out a varied and active career。 Later； perhaps；
he would declare the stones to the customs and pay the duty； perhaps。
Thus his subsequent mishaps this night may be laid to the fact that
he thought and saw through green spectacles。
The idea that the jewels were hidden near by made it imperative that
he should handle this affair exclusively。 Coles； the operative he
had sent to negotiate with Karlov； was conceivably a prisoner
upstairs or down。 Coles knew about the drums； and they must not
turn up under his eye。 Federal property； in that event。
If ever he laid his hands upon the drums he would buy something
gorgeous for Kitty。 Little thoroughbred！
Time for work。 Without doubt Karlov had cellar exits through this
warehouse or the other。 The job on hand would be first to locate
these exits； and then to the trap on the roof。 With his pocket lamp
blazing a trail he went down to the cellar and carefully inspected
the walls that abutted those of the house。 Nothing on this side。
He left the warehouse and hugged the street wall for a space。 The
street was deserted。 Instead of passing Karlov's abode he wisely
made a detour of the block。 He reached the entrance to the second
warehouse without sighting even a marauding tom。 In the cellar of
this warehouse he discovered a newly made door； painted skillfully
to represent the limestone of the foundation。 Tiptop。
Immediately he outlined the campaign。 There should be two drives
… one from the front and another from the roof … so that not an
anarchist or Bolshevik could escape。 The mouth of the Federal sack
should be held at this cellar exit。 No matter what kind of game he
played offside； the raid itself must succeed absolutely。 Nothing
should swerve him from making these plans as perfect as it was
humanly possible。 He would be on hand to search Karlov himself。
If the drums were not on him he would return and pick the old
mansion apart； lath by lath。 Gay old ruffian； wasn't he？
Another point worth considering： He would keep his discoveries under
cover until the hour to strike came。 Some over…zealous subordinate
might attempt a coup on his own and spoil everything。
He picked his way to the far end of the cellar； to the doors。 Locks
gone。 He took it for granted that the real…estate agent would not
come round with prospective tenants。 These doors would take them
into the trucking alley； where there were a dozen feasible exits。
There was no way out of the house yard； as the brick wall； ten feet
high and running from warehouse to warehouse； was blind。 Now for
the trap on the roof。
He climbed the three flights of stairs crisscrossed and fe