f hour later he
was standing in old Cragg's stone lot and another hour was consumed
among the huge stones by the hillside--the place where Josie had
discovered the entrance to the underground cave. Mr. Sinclair did not
discover the entrance, however, so finally he returned to town and
mounted the stairs beside Sol Jerrem's store building to the upper
hallway.

In five minutes he was inside of Cragg's outer office; in another five
minutes he had entered the inner office. There he remained until the
unmistakable herald of dawn warned him to be going. However, when he
left the building there was no visible evidence of his visit. He was in
his own room and in bed long before Mrs. Hopper gave a final snore and
wakened to light the kitchen fire and prepare for the duties of the
day.

CHAPTER XXIV
FACING DANGER

Nan's presence at Cragg's Crossing rendered Josie O'Gorman uneasy. She
had the Cragg case so well in hand, now, and the evidence in her
possession was so positively incriminating, in her judgment, that she
did not like to be balked by a clever female detective from her
father's own office. She had little doubt but Nan would do all in her
power to save old Hezekiah Cragg from the penalty of his misdeeds, and
her greatest fear was that he might utterly disappear before O'Gorman
sent her assistance.

With this fear growing in her mind, on Monday she determined to send
another telegram to her father, urging haste, so she obtained
permission from the Colonel to have Uncle Eben drive her and Mary
Louise to the city, there being no telegraph office at Chargrove
Station. But she timed the trip when no trains would stop at Chargrove
during her absence and at the telegraph office she sent an imperative
message to John O'Gorman at Washington demanding instant help. Since
all counterfeiting cases belonged distinctly to the Secret Service
Department she had little doubt her father would respond as soon as the
affairs at the office would permit him to do so. But the delay was
exasperating, nevertheless. Indeed, Josie was so sure that the crisis
of her case was imminent that she determined to watch old Cragg's house
every night until his arrest could be made. If he attempted to escape
she would arrest him herself, with the aid of the little revolver she
carried in her dress pocket.

On their return journey they overtook Mr. Sinclair at about a mile from
the Crossing. They had never seen the man before, but when he signale