A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 66: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

58 A SERVANT OF SATAN. spent in the smoking-room on deck, playing cards with Sir Charles, and some four or five of the latter’s messmates. During the first two days Frederick lost heavily, which he could ill afford, for, after paying his hotel bill at Cairo, and purchasing his passage for Bombay, he had found that his money was almost exhausted. On the third day, however, his spell of bad luck came to an end, and from that time forth his winnings were considerable. No mat- ter what the game might be, his hand was invariably such as to arouse the envy and admiration of all beholders. Both Sir Charles and two other of the officers lost large sums to him, and at length one night, on rising from the card-table, the baronet was sharply taken to task by one of his fellow-losers, a Captain Clery, who inquired, with some asperity, whether he was sure of ‘‘that dused German fellow.” “What do you mean? What on earth are you driving . at, my dear Clery? What should I know more about him than you do yourself? ‘There isno doubt about his being the son of old General von Waldberg, whose name you are just as well acquainted with as I am.” 2 ‘‘'That is just what puzzles me,” replied the captain. ‘¢ How can you explain the fact that a man of his station and military training should be here on board a Bombay- bound steamer, instead of being with the German Army be- fore Paris? ‘There is something very fishy and queer about him.” «7 don’t agree with you one bit,” retorted Sir Charles, ‘¢ I think he isa very nice fellow—remarkably bright and. siscsisee, and exceedingly wide awake and clever.” ‘<'Too clever by half,” muttered Captain Clery, savagely twisting his heavy blonde mustache. ‘‘Iam going to watch his game. I don’t believe he plays fair. It isn’t natural that he should win whenever there is a heavy stake on the comicbooks col