y, but if his face had been thickly
smeared with coal dust, and if he had had a two weeks' beard, and if
he had been seen on the forecastle of the _Almirante Gomez_, one would
have deduced him to be a stoker who had not used the name of Jamison.

* * * * *

The cab reached the Beira Mar, and turned to take the long route about
the bay. It it one of the most beautiful views to be found anywhere,
and tall apartment houses have been built along its whole length to
capitalize the scenery. True, the more brightly-colored ladies of the
capital have established themselves in vast numbers among these
apartment houses, but in their languid promenades they add--let us
say--the beauties of art to those of nature.

A voice spoke from the chauffeur's seat.

"Bell."

"Right," said Bell without moving. His eyes flickered, however, and he
found the device Jamison had inserted. A speaking-tube of sorts. Not
especially efficient, but inconspicuous enough. He stirred listlessly
and got his lips near it.

"All right to talk?" he asked briefly.

"Shoot," said Jamison from the secretary's seat beside the chauffeur.
"This man doesn't understand English, and he thinks I'm in a smuggling
gang. He expects to make some money out of me eventually."

Bell spoke curtly, while the taxi rolled past the Morro da Gloria with
its quaint old church and went along the winding, really marvelous
driveway past many beaches, with the incredibly blue water beyond.

"Canalejas is out of town," he said. "It isn't known when he'll be
back. I met his daughter at a dance at our Embassy here, and she told
me. We didn't dare to talk much, but she's frightened. Especially
after what happened to Ortiz. And I've met Ribiera, whom Ortiz named."

"I've been looking him up," growled Jamison through the speaking-tube.

* * * * *

Bell flicked the ash from his cigarette out the door, and went on
quietly.

"He's trying to get friendly with me. I've promised to call at his
house and have him take me out to the flying field. He has two planes,
he tells me, a big amphibian and a two-seater. Uses them for commuting
between Rio and his place back inland. He went out of his way to
cultivate me. I think he suspects I'm trying to find out something."

"Which you are," said Jamison dryly. "You've found out that Ortiz was
right at least about--"

Bell nodded, and frowned at himself for having nodded. He spok