d mean a lowering of my ideals, whatever they may
be, to your own vulgar standard. I may have done wrong in becoming
associated with Mr. Ketchim. In fact, I know that I have. But I
pledged myself to assist him. And yet, in doing so, I scarcely can
blacken my reputation to the extent that I should were I to become
your legal henchman. I want wealth. But there are some terms upon
which even I can not accept it. And your terms are among them. I bid
you good morning."

Ames gave a snort of anger when Cass went out. Summoning Hood, he
vented his great wrath upon that individual's bald pate. "And now," he
concluded, "I want that fellow Cass so wound up that he will sneak off
to a lonely spot and commit suicide! And if you can't do it, then I'll
accept your resignation!"

"Very well, sir," replied Hood. "And, by the way, Mr. Ames, I have
just learned that Judge Harris, father of the young man who came up
with that girl, is in Colombia. Seems that he's taken some wealthy man
down there to look at La Libertad mine."

"What!" Ames's eyes snapped fire.

"They believe you put one over on Ketchim, with the help of Monsignor
Lafelle, and so they've gone down to get titles to that mine."

"By G--"

"And they say that--"

"Never mind what they say!" roared Ames. "Cable Wenceslas at once to
see that those fellows remain permanently in Colombia. He has ways of
accomplishing that. Humph! Fools! Judge Harris, eh? Ninny! I guess
Wenceslas can block his little game!"

His great frame shook slightly as he stood consuming with rage, and a
slight hemorrhage started from his nostrils. He turned to the
lavatory. And as he walked, Hood thought his left foot dragged
slightly. But the lawyer made no comment.

* * * * *

And then, with the way well cleared, came the Ketchim trial, which has
gone down in history as containing the most spectacular _denouement_
in the record of legal procedure in the New World. Had it been
concerned, as was anticipated, only with routine legal procedure
against the man Ketchim, a weak-souled compound of feeble sycophancy
and low morals, it would have attracted slight attention, and would
have been spread upon the court records by uninterested clerks with
never a second thought. But there were elements entering into it of
whose existence the outside world could not have even dreamed. Into it
converged threads which now may be traced back to scenes and events in
thre