“You are late in your purchases,” I remarked, in a conciliatory tone, as the stranger entered.

“A man with money, and a desire to spend it, can choose his own time to trade, I suppose, can’t he?” the black visitor asked, in a gruff manner; and as he moved his arm to emphasize his words, I saw the butts of two pistols protruding from his coat pockets—­a discovery that did not alarm me, although I was glad that their possession was revealed.

“That depends upon two things,” I replied.  “First, whether—­”

“Pshaw! don’t bother me with your homilies,” he exclaimed, impatiently, as I closed the door and turned the key.

“No, I won’t, for you are homely enough in all conscience,” I answered, pretending to think that he referred to personal beauty.

The stranger turned on me like lightning, and his sinister eyes were expressive of intense rage, but I pretended not to notice his actions.  Rover, however, became slightly alarmed for my welfare, and placed himself between us, and showed his strong teeth with perfect frankness.

“Call off your dog,” our visitor said, finding that it was useless to intimidate, “or I will make short work of him, and sell him to the Chinamen as a luxury.”

“You would never have another chance to trade with the Celestials,” I answered, carelessly.

“Why?” demanded the black ruffian, with a grim smile, as he walked towards that portion of the store where Fred was sitting, Mr. Critchet having entered his room.

“Because, if you harmed my dog, I should take the liberty of shooting you without a moment’s delay.”

“Well, that is a question that two would have to study over,” the stranger answered, in a more subdued tone, and with less inclination to swagger.  “I suppose that you little think that I carry these things about me, and that they sometimes bark when I say the word, and more to the purpose than any dog you ever owned.”  And he tapped the butts of his pistols with a confident air, but the announcement was not such as he had anticipated.

“We sometimes do a little in that line ourselves,” I answered, “and we take care that the tools we use shall be the best that money can obtain.  When this speaks it means something.”

I quietly drew from my coat pocket a revolver, and held it before him, and then as quietly returned it to its resting-place.

“I’m satisfied with your word,” the dark-haired stranger said, a grim smile spreading over his face.  “When gentlemen meet they should know how to treat each other with courtesy.  By your weapon I judge that you are an American.”

“My friend and myself both claim that country as the land of our births,” I replied, pointing to Fred, who sat smoking his pipe for the purpose of keeping the insects, attracted by our light, at a distance.

“O, I didn’t see that you had a companion,” the stranger exclaimed, spying Fred for the first time, which somehow rather disconcerted him; but he quickly rallied, and continued to converse in a free and easy manner, like a man who had seen much of the world, and had opportunities of enjoying it.