I bought them a while back at a
desolate, God-forsaken farmhouse. Heaven deliver me from camping!"
With which pious ejaculation the Baron inspected his smudged and
blistered fingers and read again the entertaining message from the Duke
of Connecticut.
"Why take to the highway," begged Philip guilelessly, "when the task is
so unpleasant?"
"Ah!" rumbled the Baron, more sombre now, "there is a man with a
music-machine--"
"There is!" said Philip fervently.
The Baron looked hard at His Highness, the Duke of Connecticut. The
latter produced his cigarette case and opening it politely for the
service of his chief, smiled with good humor.
"There is," said he coolly, "a man with a music-machine, a mysterious
malady, a stained skin and a volume of Herodotus! Excellency knows
the--er--romantic ensemble?"
Excellency not only knew him, but for days now, taking up the trail at
a certain canal, he had traveled hard over roads strangely littered
with hay and food and linen collars--to find that romantic ensemble.
He added with grim humor that he fancied the Duke of Connecticut knew
him too. The Duke dryly admitted that this might be so. His memory,
though conveniently porous at times, was for the most part excellent.
"What is he doing?" asked the Baron with an ominous glint of his fine
eyes.
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