completes the case against himself before we condemn him, Mr.
Harding."

"Humph!" grunted the old money-bags. "In my opinion, he is condemned
already. Never did like that boy, something sneaky about him. Hey, hey,
hey?"

The officer's heart was too sick within him to answer. He drew out his
watch and looked at it in a fleeting glimpse of moonshine. It was almost
the time that Mortlake had declared had been agreed upon for the
consummation of the plot.

"At all events, I shall know within a few minutes if this story is to be
credited or condemned," thought Lieut. Bradbury.

Old Harding and Mortlake, the latter leading and beckoning to Lieut.
Bradbury, slipped cautiously through the alders, and took up a position in
the clump at the edge of the road behind a big bowlder, where they could
command a good view of the thoroughfare without being seen themselves. The
officer, with a keener sense than ever of doing something dishonorable,
joined them.

"Hark!" exclaimed Mortlake presently.

But, although they all strained their ears, they could hear no sound
except the cracking of a tree limb, as it rubbed against another branch in
the night wind.

"You are sure this was the place?" asked the officer.

"So my man told me," rejoined Mortlake. "You know, I relied absolutely on
his word for this thing, all the way through. I, myself, know nothing of
it."

He emphasized these last words, as if he wished them to stick in his
hearer's memory.

Suddenly, however, a new sound struck into the silence.

It was a heavy footstep, gradually drawing closer. Round the dark corner
of the road came a tall form in a long coat and with a slouch hat pulled
down well over its eyes.

Lieutenant Bradbury could have groaned. Mortlake nudged him triumphantly.

"Well," he said, "I guess part of it's true, anyhow."

"I'm afraid so," breathed the officer.

"I thought so. Hey, hey, I thought so," chuckled old Harding rustily.

The tall figure came on until it was almost opposite the bushes where the
three hidden onlookers were concealed. It looked about in some impatience,
tapping one of its feet querulously. Then it fell to pacing up and down.

"Evidently the boy is late," thought the lieutenant. And then a glad guess
shot through his mind. "Perhaps the boy has thought better of it."

But even as he felt a great sense of relief at this supposition, there
came a low whistle from farther down the road. It was answered by the
figure opp