assured　that　everything　that　is　fitting　has　been　done　on　this
  occasion。〃
  Byrne　asked　no　more　questions。　　There　was　still　another　death　which
  was　considered　by　Gonzales　as　〃fitting　to　the　occasion。〃　　The　one…
  eyed　Bernardino　stuck　against　the　wall　of　his　wine…shop　received
  the　charge　of　six　escopettas　into　his　breast。　　As　the　shots　rang
  out　the　rough　bier　with　Tom's　body　on　it　went　past　carried　by　a
  bandit…like　gang　of　Spanish　patriots　down　the　ravine　to　the　shore；
  where　two　boats　from　the　ship　were　waiting　for　what　was　left　on
  earth　of　her　best　seaman。
  Mr。　Byrne；　very　pale　and　weak；　stepped　into　the　boat　which　carried
  the　body　of　his　humble　friend。　　For　it　was　decided　that　Tom　Corbin
  should　rest　far　out　in　the　bay　of　Biscay。　　The　officer　took　the
  tiller　and；　turning　his　head　for　the　last　look　at　the　shore；　saw　on
  the　grey　hillside　something　moving；　which　he　made　out　to　be　a
  little　man　in　a　yellow　hat　mounted　on　a　mule　…　that　mule　without
  which　the　fate　of　Tom　Corbin　would　have　remained　mysterious　for
  ever。
  June；　1913。
  BECAUSE　OF　THE　DOLLARS
  CHAPTER　I
  While　we　were　hanging　about　near　the　water's　edge；　as　sailors
  idling　ashore　will　do　（it　was　in　the　open　space　before　the　Harbour
  Office　of　a　great　Eastern　port）；　a　man　came　towards　us　from　the
  〃front〃　of　business　houses；　aiming　obliquely　at　the　landing　steps。
  He　attracted　my　attention　because　in　the　movement　of　figures　in
  white　drill　suits　on　the　pavement　from　which　he　stepped；　his
  costume；　the　usual　tunic　and　trousers；　being　made　of　light　grey
  flannel；　made　him　noticeable。
  I　had　time　to　observe　him。　　He　was　stout；　but　he　was　not　grotesque。
  His　face　was　round　and　smooth；　his　complexion　very　fair。　　On　his
  nearer　approach　I　saw　a　little　moustache　made　all　the　fairer　by　a
  good　many　white　hairs。　　And　he　had；　for　a　stout　man；　quite　a　good
  chin。　　In　passing　us　he　exchanged　nods　with　the　friend　I　was　with
  and　smiled。
  My　friend　was　Hollis；　the　fellow　who　had　so　many　adventures　and　had
  known　so　many　queer　people　in　that　part　of　the　（more　or　less）
  gorgeous　East　in　the　days　of　his　youth。　　He　said：　　〃That's　a　good
  man。　　I　don't　mean　good　in　the　sense　of　smart　or　skilful　in　his
  trade。　　I　mean　a　really　GOOD　man。〃
  I　turned　round　at　once　to　look　at　the　phenomenon。　　The　〃really　GOOD
  man〃　had　a　very　broad　back。　　I　saw　him　signal　a　sampan　to　come
  alongside；　get　into　it；　and　go　off　in　the　direction　of　a　cluster　of
  local　steamers　anchored　close　inshore。
  I　said：　　〃He's　a　seaman；　isn't　he？〃
  〃Yes。　　Commands　that　biggish　dark…green　steamer：　　'Sissie　…
  Glasgow。'　　He　has　never　commanded　anything　else　but　the　'Sissie　…
  Glasgow；'　only　it　wasn't　always　the　same　Sissie。　　The　first　he　had
  was　about　half　the　length　of　this　one；　and　we　used　to　tell　poor
  Davidson　that　she　was　a　size　too　small　for　him。　　Even　at　that　time
  Davidson　had　bulk。　　We　warned　him　he　would　get　callosities　on　his
  shoulders　and　elbows　because　of　the　tight　fit　of　his　command。　　And
  Davidson　could　well　afford　the　smiles　he　gave　us　for　our　chaff。　　He
  made　lots　of　money　in　her。　　She　belonged　to　a　portly　Chinaman
  resembling　a　mandarin　in　a　picture…book；　with　goggles　and　thin
  drooping　moustaches；　and　as　dignified　as　only　a　Celestial　knows　how
  to　be。
  〃The　best　of　Chinamen　as　employers　is　that　they　have　such
  gentlemanly　instincts。　　Once　they　become　convinced　that　you　are　a
  straight　man；　they　give　you　their　unbounded　confidence。　　You　simply
  can't　do　wrong；　then。　　And　they　are　pretty　quick　judges　of
  character；　too。　　Davidson's　Chinaman　was　the　first　to　find　out　his
  worth；　on　some　theoretical　principle。　　One　day　in　his　counting…
  house；　before　several　white　men　he　was　heard　to　declare：　　'Captain
  Davidson　is　a　good　man。'　　And　that　settled　it。　　After　that　you
  couldn't　tell　if　it　was　Davidson　who　belonged　to　the　Chinaman　or
  the　Chinaman　who　belonged　to　Davidson。　　It　was　he　who；　shortly
  before　he　died；　ordered　in　Glasgow　the　new　Sissie　for　Davidson　to
  command。〃
  We　walked　into　the　shade　of　the　Harbour　Office　and　leaned　our
  elbows　on　the　parapet　of　the　quay。
  〃She　was　really　meant　to　comfort　poor　Davidson；〃　continued　Hollis。
  〃Can　you　fancy　anything　more　naively　touching　than　this　old
  mandarin　spending　several　thousand　pounds　to　console　his　white　man？
  Well；　there　she　is。　　The　old　mandarin's　sons　have　inherited　her；
  and　Davidson　with　her；　and　he　commands　her；　and　what　with　his
  salary　and　trading　privileges　he　makes　a　lot　of　money；　and
  everything　is　as　before；　and　Davidson　even　smiles　…　you　have　seen
  it？　　Well；　the　smile's　the　only　thing　which　isn't　as　before。〃
  〃Tell　me；　Hollis；〃　I　asked；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　good　in　this
  connection？〃
  〃Well；　there　are　men　who　are　born　good　just　as　others　are　born
  witty。　　What　I　mean　is　his　nature。　　No　simpler；　more　scrupulously
  delicate　soul　had　ever　lived　in　such　a　…　a　　…　comfortable　envelope。
  How　we　used　to　laugh　at　Davidson's　fine　scruples！　　In　short；　he's
  thoroughly　humane；　and　I　don't　imagine　there　can　be　much　of　any
  other　sort　of　goodness　that　counts　on　this　earth。　　And　as　he's　that
  with　a　shade　of　particular　refinement；　I　may　well　call　him　a
  'REALLY　good　man。'〃
  I　knew　from　old　that　Hollis　was　a　firm　believer　in　the　final　value
  of　shades。　　And　I　said：　　〃I　see〃　…　because　I　really　did　see
  Hollis's　Davidson　in　the　sympathetic　stout　man　who　had　passed　us　a
  little　while　before。　　But　I　remembered　that　at　the　very　moment　he
  smiled　his　placid　face　appeared　veiled　in　melancholy　…　a　sort　of
  spiritual　shadow。　　I　went　on。
  〃Who　on　earth　has　paid　him　off　for　being　so　fine　by　spoiling　his
  smile？〃
  〃That's　quite　a　story；　and　I　will　tell　it　to　you　if　you　like。
  Confound　it！　　It's　quite　a　surprising　one；　too。　　Surprising　in
  every　way；　but　mostly　in　the　way　it　knocked　over　poor　Davidson　…
  and　apparently　only　because　he　is　such　a　good　sort。　　He　was　telling
  me　all　about　it　only　a　few　days　ago。　　He　said　that　when　he　saw
  these　four　fellows　with　their　heads　in　a　bunch　over　the　table；　he
  at　once　didn't　like　it。　　He　didn't　like　it　at　all。　　You　mustn't
  suppose　that　Davidson　is　a　soft　fool。　　These　men　…
  〃But　I　had　better　begin　at　the　beginning。　　We　must　go　back　to　the
  first　time　the　old　dollars　had　been　called　in　by　our　Government　in
  exchange　for　a　new　issue。　　Just　about　the　time　when　I　left　these
  parts　to　go　home　for　a　long　stay。　　Every　trader　in　the　islands　was
  thinking　of　getting　his　old　dollars　sent　up　here　in　time；　and　the
  demand　for　empty　French　wine　cases　…　you　know　the　dozen　of　vermouth
  or　claret　size　…　was　something　unprecedented。　　The　custom　was　to
  pack　the　dollars　in　little　bags　of　a　hundred　each。　　I　don't　know
  how　many　bags　each　case　would　hold。　　A　good　lot。　　Pretty　tidy　sums
  must　have　been　moving　afloat　just　then。　　But　let　us　get　away　from
  here。　　Won't　do　to　stay　in　the　sun。　　Where　could　we　…　？　　I　know！
  let　us　go　to　those　tiffin…rooms　over　there。〃
  We　moved　over　accordingly。　　Our　appearance　in　the　long　empty　room
  at　that　early　hour　caused　visible　consternation　amongst　the　China
  boys。　　But　Hollis　led　the　way　to　one　of　the　tables　between　the
  windows　screened　by　rattan　blinds。　　A　brilliant　half…light　trembled
  on　the　ceiling；　on　the　whitewashed　walls；　bathed　the　multitude　of
  vacant　chairs　and　tables　in　a　peculiar；　stealthy　glow。
  〃All　right。　　We　will　get　something　to　eat　when　it's　ready；〃　he
  said；　waving　the　anxious　Chinaman　waiter　aside。　　He　took　his
  temples　touched　with　grey　between　his　hands；　leaning　over　the　table
  to　bring　his　face；　his　dark；　keen　eyes；　closer　to　mine。
  〃Davidson　then　was　commanding　the　steamer　Sissie　…　the　little　one
  which　we　used　to　chaff　him　about。　　He　ran　her　alone；　with　only　the
  Malay　serang　for　a　deck　officer。　　The　nearest　approach　to　another
  white　man　on　board　of　her　was　the　engineer；　a　Portuguese　half…
  caste；　as　thin　as　a　lath　and　quite　a　youngster　at　that。　　For　all
  practical　purposes　Davidson　was　managing　that　command　of　his
  single…handed；　and　of　course　this　was　known　in　the　port。　　I　am
  telling　you　of　it　because　the　fact　had　its　influence　on　the
  developments　you　shall　hear　of　presently。
  〃His　steamer；　being　so　small；　could　go　up　tiny　creeks　and　into
  shallow　bays　and　through　reefs　and　over　sand…banks；　collecting
  produce；　where　no　other　vessel　but　a　native　craft　would　think　of
  venturing。　　It　is　a　paying　game；　often。　　Davidson　was　known　to
  visit　in　her　places　that　no　one　else　could　find　and　that　hardly
  anybody　had　ever　heard　of。
  〃The　old　dollars　being　called　in；　Davidson's　Chinaman　thought　that
  the　Sissie　would　be　just　the　thing　to　c