their especial pride to pass them at arm's length from one tall glass to
another, the fluid describing a long curve through the air, but spilling
never a drop.

In these places Keith pledged in turn each of his new acquaintances, and
was pledged by them. Never, he thought, had he met so jolly, so
interesting, so experienced a lot of men. They had not only lived history,
they had made it. They were so full of high spirits and the spirit of play.
His heart warmed to them mightily; and over and over he told himself that
he had made no mistake in his long voyage to new fields of endeavour. On
the other hand, he, too, made a good impression. Naturally the numerous
drinks had something to do with this mutual esteem; but also it was a fact
that his boyish, laughing, half-reckless spirit had much in common with the
spirit of the times. Quite accidentally he discovered that the tall, dark
Southern youth was Calhoun Bennett. This then seemed to him a remarkable
coincidence.

"Why, I have a letter of introduction to you!" he said.

Again and again he recurred to this point, insisting on telling everybody
how extraordinary the situation was.

"Here I've been talking to him for three hours," he exclaimed, "and never
knew who he was, and all the time I had a letter of introduction to him!"

This and a warm irresponsible glow of comradeship were the sole indications
of the drinks he had had. Keith possessed a strong head. Some of the others
were not so fortunate. Little Rowlee was frankly verging on drunkenness.

The afternoon wind was beginning to die, and the wisps of high fog that