Johnnie told of his earlier
connection with the Carter Importing Company, gave names, dates,
and facts to bear out his statements, and challenged his accusers
to verify them.
Undoubtedly some of his hearers were impressed, but they were by
no means convinced of the innocence of his present purpose, and,
in fact, the ferocious colonel seemed to regard past residence in
Cuba as proof conclusive of a present connection with the rebels.
Johnnie gathered that he was suspected of being one of those
American engineers who were reported to have been engaged to
instruct the enemy in the use of explosives: his inquisitors did
their best to wring such an admission from him or to entrap him
into the use of some technical phrase, some slip of the tongue
which would verify their suspicions. They even examined his hands
with minutest care, as if to find some telltale callous or
chemical discoloration which would convict him. Then finally, to
give him the lie absolute, the aggressive colonel seized a nickel-
plated atomizer from the table and brandished it triumphantly
before the young men's eyes.
"Enough of this pretense!" he cried. "What is this instrument,
eh?"
"It is evidently an atomizer, a nasal syringe. I never saw it
before."
"It's mine," said Leslie Branch; but the colonel did not heed the
interruption.
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