"Ah," he said, and nodded soberly, "so, it is that."

"Yes; it is that," assented the other. "I perceive that you have
communicated with Mr. Craig. How is he?"

"Out of danger."

"That is well. A fine and manly youth. I should have sorely regretted it
if--"

Professor Gehren broke in upon him. "For the peril in which you have
involved him, sir, you have to answer to me, his guardian."

The foreigner raised a hand. "He was without family or ties. I told
him the danger. He accepted it. Once he was careless--and one is not
careless twice in that work. But he was fortunate, too. I, also,
was fortunate in that the task was then so far advanced that I could
complete it alone. I got him to the hospital at night; no matter how.
For his danger and illness I have indemnified him in the sum of ten
thousand dollars. Is it enough?"

Professor Gehren bowed.

"And you, Mr. Jones; are you a detective?"

"No; merely a follower of strange trails--by taste."

"Ah. You have set yourself to a dark one. You wish to know how Telfik
Bey"--his eyes narrowed and glinted--"came to his reward. Will you
enter, gentlemen?"

"I know this much," replied Average Jones as, followed by his friends,
he passed through the door which their host held open. "With young Craig
as an assistant, you prepared, in the loneliest part of the Hackensack
Meadows, some kind of poison which, I believe, can be made with safety
only in the open air."

The foreigner smiled and shook his head.

"Not with safety, even then," he said. "But go on."

"You found that your man was coming to New York. Knowing that he would
probably put up at the Palatia or the Nederstrom, you reserved rooms for
him at both, and took an office across from each. As it was hot weather,
you calculated upon his windows being open. You watched for him. When he
came you struck him down in his own room with the poison."

"But how?" It was the diplomat who interrupted.

"I think with a long blow-gun."

"By George!" said Bertram softly. "So the spirit-wand of bamboo was a
blow-gun! What led you to that, Average?"

"The spirit rappings, which the talky woman in the Bellair Street
apartment used to hear. That and the remnants of putty I found near
the window. You see the doors opening through the whole length of the
apartment gave a long range, where Mr.--er--Smith could practice. He had
a sort of target on the window, and every time he blew a putty ball Mrs.
Doubletongue heard the spiri