't make up my mind what to do,"
he confessed. "I--I didn't do anything."

"Just what I advised," said Evan. "Then what happened?"

Deaves evaded a direct answer. "I came to ask you if you would
accompany me on a little expedition to-night?"

"What for?" demanded Evan.

"Is it necessary for me to tell you? I would pay you well."

"It's not a question of pay," said Evan. "I must know what I'm doing."

"You wouldn't approve of my course of action."

"All the more reason for telling me."

Deaves still hesitated.

"Let me see the latest letter," said Evan at a venture.

Deaves stared. "How did you know there was a letter?"

"Well there always is another when the first doesn't work, isn't there?"

Deaves looking a little foolish produced a letter and handed it over.
Evan read:

"The enclosed speaks for itself. You will please proceed as
follows:--bearing in mind that the slightest departure from our
instructions in the past has invariably been followed by disaster:

You will leave home in your car at eight P.M. Tuesday. You may bring a
companion with you in addition to your chauffeur, as we realize you
have not the constitution to carry this through alone and we do not
wish to ask the impossible. Therefore you may bring the huskiest
body-guard obtainable--but neither you nor he must bear weapons of any
description.

You will proceed over the Queensboro Bridge and wait on the North side
of the Plaza at the corner of Stonewall avenue until eight-thirty
precisely. You will not get out of your car during this wait. You
will be under observation the whole way, and we will instantly be
apprised of any departure from our instructions. In that case you will
have your trip for nothing and the consequences will be on your head.

At eight-thirty you will proceed out Stonewall avenue to the corner of
Beechurst, an insignificant street in the village of Regina. It is
about ten minutes' drive from the Plaza. You will know Beechurst
street by the large and ugly stone church with twin towers on your left
hand. You get out on the right-hand side and send your chauffeur back.
Tell him to return to the bridge Plaza and wait for you.

When he is out of sight you proceed up Beechurst street to the right.
It climbs a hill and seems to come to an end in less than a block among
a waste of vacant lots. You will find, however, that it is continued
by a rough road which you are to follow. It crosses waste lands an