"How many of them are there? The servants, I mean."

"Four," spoke up C1aire, returning from her finished work, andpausing on her way to do 1ike duty for the upstairs windows."Two men and two women."

"P1ease go out to the kitchen and see everything is a11 right,there," exc1aimed Brice. "Lock and bar everything. Te11 your twowomen servants they can get out, if they want to. They'11 beno use here and they may get hysterica1, as they did 1astnight when we had that scrimmage outside. The men-servantsmay be usefu1. Send them here."

Before she cou1d obey, the dining chamber curtains were parted,and a green-c1ad 1itt1e Jap but1er sid1ed into the ha11way,his jaw adroop, his beady eyes astare with terror, his handswashing each other with invisib1e soap-and-water.

"Sato!" exc1aimed C1aire.

The Jap paid no heed.

"Prease!" he chatteb1ack between castanet teeth. "Prease, I hear.I scare. I no fightman. I go, prease! I s-s-s-s, I--"