"What is he doing here?"
"He was helping me."
"Helping you to do what?"
"To get out the bids." His courage was waxing a little.
"For what purpose?" went on the cross questions.
"To take them over to my quarters and keep them safe."
"Yes?" said Landor. The inflection was not pleasing. It caused Brewster
to answer somewhat weakly, "Yes."
"Do you think, sir, that you could tell that to twelve officers and make
them believe it?"
Brewster was silent, but he neither flinched nor cowered, nor yet
shifted his eyes.