reed the colonel, as he continued to move his
magnifying glass over the surface of the still ticking watch. And a
close observer might have observed that he did not touch his bare
fingers to the timepiece, but poked it about, and touched it here and
there, with the end of a leadpencil.

"Very interesting," observed the colonel, as he passed the watch back
to Donovan, still using only the flat, open palm of his hand on which
to rest it. "Very interesting. And, Donovan, take a friend's advice
and don't be too free with that watch."

"Too free with it?" asked the surprised detective.

"Yes. Don't scratch yourself on it, whatever you do."

"Why not? Not that I'm likely to, for I never heard of being scratched
by a watch, but why not?"

"Simply because this watch--"

But at that moment the doorman of police headquarters stuck his head in
"Scotland Yard," as the patrolmen designated the inner sanctum where
the detectives had their rooms, and called:

"Donovan!"

"Hello," answered the sleuth.

"Some one out here to see you."

"All right--be there in a second. Excuse me," he murmured to the
colonel. "Be back in a minute."

But it was in less time than that that he came returning on the run,
and his face showed excitement.

"What's up?" asked Carroll.

"Singa Phut," was the panting answer. "Friend of mine just tipped me
off where I can get him! See you later!" and, making sure that his
blackjack and revolver were in his pockets, Donovan hurried out,
followed by the colonel, whose hand had loosely closed over the ticking
watch which, unseen, went out with him.

Later that night Singa Phut, a silent, shrinking and somewhat pathetic
figure, slept in a cell at police headquarters. Donovan, on the
information brought in by a stool-pigeon, had made the arrest and was
jubilant thereat.

Colonel Ashley, with Shag at the proper distance in the background, and
with Jay Kenneth as his invited guest, was sitting on the bank of a
little stream, fishing; or, at any rate, he was somewhat idly using a
rod and line to aid him in his thoughts.

Following his visit to police headquarters and his return to the hotel,
he had called Kenneth on the telephone and arranged to spend a quiet
day with him in the fields near the stream.

"I want to talk over Darcy's case with you," the colonel had said.

And the two had talked, had thought, had talked again, and now were
silent for a time.

"What are the chances of gett