dropped from the
lips of the three investigators.

"Black work has been going on here!" growled Burton.

"Wonder if that's Hogan?" queried Clancy.

"Whoever it is," spoke up Hill, "if that towel ain't removed he'll soon
be smothered to death."

As he spoke, he hastened to the head of the bed, turned the form
slightly so he could untie the ends of the towel, and presently removed
the suffocating gag. As the head of the bound man fell back on the
pillow of the bed, his face was brought clearly into the full light of
the candle.

"By thunder!" gasped Clancy, startled.

"What do you think of that?" murmured the bewildered Burton.

"Katz, or I'm a Hottentot!" whispered Hill.

There followed a few moments of silence, during which the three at the
cotside exchanged wondering glances. Here was a situation which seemed
incomprehensible to all of them.

Katz's eyes were closed, and the breath came and went stertorously
between his bloated lips. His face was puffed and of a purplish hue.

"What's the matter with him?" queried Burton.

"He came within one of being suffocated, that's all," Clancy answered.
"Get the ropes off his hands and feet, so he'll be more comfortable. I
don't think it will be long before he opens his eyes."

The motor wizard was right. Hardly had Katz been freed of the ropes when
his eyelids flickered wide open. He stared up dazedly into the faces
bending over him.

"Wynn!" he exclaimed, his wits wandering. "You're double-crossin' me,
eh, same as we double-crossed Burton? You and Hogan are going to make
off with the swag! Well, it won't do you no good, you can gamble on
that. You'll be sorry you did this--some day--and---"

Here his voice trailed off into incoherent mumbling. It was quite
evident that there had been a bad "split" in the gang.

CHAPTER X.

PLOT AND COUNTERPLOT.

Burton's eyes glimmered as he listened to these wandering words from the
lips of his treacherous friend.

"He got a dose of the same medicine he helped give me!" he said. "Serves
him right. Gerald Wynn is a yellow dog! He turned against me, and then
he hitched up with Captain Hogan and the two turned on Katz. Wish I knew
just how it all happened."

"Bring some water," said Clancy, "and perhaps we can help Katz recover
his wits. He's half delirious now."

Burton found some cool water, and brought a basin of it. The bloated,
purplish face of Katz was bathed, his limbs were rubbed, and gradually
his condition,