He was trying to press his watch upon me, and was exposing the paper and
explaining it to me, when Adler appeared on the scene, about a dozen
yards away. I said to poor Kruger -
'Put up your watch, I don't want it. You shan't come to any harm. Go,
now; I must tell Adler his fortune. Presently I will tell you how to
escape the assassin; meantime I shall have to examine your thumbmark
again. Say nothing to Adler about this thing - say nothing to anybody.'
He went away filled with fright and gratitude, poor devil. I told Adler
a long fortune - purposely so long that I could not finish it; promised
to come to him on guard, that night, and tell him the really important
part of it - the tragical part of it, I said - so must be out of reach of
eavesdroppers. They always kept a picket-watch outside the town - mere
discipline and ceremony - no occasion for it, no enemy around.
Toward midnight I set out, equipped with the countersign, and picked my
way toward the lonely region where Adler was to keep his watch. It was
so dark that I stumbled right on a dim figure almost before I could get
out a protecting word. The sentinel hailed and I answered, both at the
same moment. I added, 'It's only me - the fortune-teller.' Then I slipped
to the poor devil's side, and without a word I drove my dirk into his
heart!
