“You are to give me a written pledge never to cross my path again.” “Of course.” Pen, ink and paper were sent for, the written pledge was given, the money handed over, and paying the shot for the dinner, the two left the hotel to come face to face upon Mark Merrill and Bemis Perry, who were just about to enter and have dinner together, having taken another stroll after seeing Clemmons and his companion enter the dining room, as they did not wish to be seen by them. CHAPTER XXXIX. THE TELL TALE PAPER. With six hundred dollars in his pocket, and made so easily, and a bottle of wine beneath his vest, Barney Breslin was feeling in a mood to be reckless. He stopped short upon seeing Mark Merrill, stepping directly in front of him, and in a very determined way. As for Scott Clemmons his face flushed with shame at being seen with Breslin, after what he had said aboard ship, and he would have passed on. So also would Merrill and Perry, but Breslin was not thus inclined. He had been in so many scrapes since the one that disgraced him from the Naval Academy that he had forgotten his affair with Mark, more than to recall that he had some cause of hatred against him. “I say, Merrill, do you intend to cut me, or do you fail to recognize me?” he asked, in an insolent manner. “I recognize you, yes, Breslin, and I desire to cut you utterly,” was the cool response. “Then take that.” A vicious blow was aimed, but it was cleverly turned, while the fist of Mark Merrill caught Breslin squarely between the eyes, and sent him to the floor. [Illustration: “Mark cleverly avoided Breslin’s attack, and with a well-directed blow sent him to the floor.” (See page 156)] A crowd sprang toward the spot, and when Breslin arose he shouted: “Arrest that fellow for assault!” Mark Merrill was not to be seen. He had been quickly drawn aside by Bemis Perry. A policeman, hearing that “a cadet had knocked the gentleman down,” at once seized Scott Clemmons against his earnest protests. But from this predicament Breslin released him, by coming to his rescue with the words: “You are wrong, officer, that is not the man. But I will show you the man.” “No, I’d not arrest any one on your charge, Breslin, for I know you now, and you doubtless insulted the one who knocked you down,” and, turning to Clemmons, he continued: “You, sir, doubtless do not know this man, so I warn you against him as a barroom loafer and dead beat generally, who fleeces all strangers he can pick up.” With this the officer walked off, while Scott Clemmons felt as though he would like to sink into the floor to hide himself, especially as he caught sight of a cadet uniform vanishing from the crowd. So he skulked away, as under the words of the officer Breslin had quickly vanished. In the meantime Mark and Perry had gone into the dining room, and by a strange coincidence took a seat at the same table where Clemmons and Breslin had had dinner together.