d begun to see through the
pantomime. "They're both thieves!"

Phelan tried to run four ways at once.

"W-w-what?" he gurgled.

"It's a trick to get you out of the house," said Gladwin with his eyes
on the big man, who was calmly smiling and who had fully made up his
mind on a magnificent game of bluff.

"What the blazes kind of a joke is this?" blurted Phelan, looking from
one to the other in utter bewilderment.

"You'll find it's no joke, officer," said the bogus Gladwin
sharply--"not if he gets away."

"You'll find it's not so funny yourself," cut in the real Gladwin.
Then to Phelan, "Arrest this man, Phelan."

"Do you mean it?" asked the astonished Phelan, sizing up the thief as
the highest example of aristocratic elegance he had ever seen in the
flesh.

"Of course I mean it," Gladwin shot back. "Look out for him--there he
goes for the window."

The thief had started in that direction, but his purpose was not
escape. The idea had flashed upon him that Helen might be concealed
there. Phelan headed him off, whereupon the thief said severely, in a
tone that was far more convincing that Gladwin's most passionate
sincerity:

"Now be careful, officer, or you'll get yourself into a lot of
trouble."

"Don't let him bluff you, Phelan," cautioned Gladwin.

"You bet your life I won't," Phelan answered, though he was already
bluffed. "I'll stick close to yez," he faltered, inching uncertainly
toward the thief.

He had come close enough for that astute individual to make out that
he wore the same uniform young Gladwin had been masquerading in and he
made capital of this on the instant.

"How do you think it is going to look," he said, impressively, "if I
prove that you've tried to help a band of thieves rob this house?"

"A band of thieves?" Phelan's jaw dropped wide open.

"He's lying to you," cried Gladwin.

"I said a band of thieves," insisted the thief. "Why he's got his pals
hidden all over the house."

"I tell you he's lying to you," Gladwin cut in frantically, seeing
that Phelan was falling under the spell of the big man's superb bluff,
and at the same time remembering Helen and pressing the button in the
wall to warn her that the time had come for her to flee.

"We're the only ones in this house," Gladwin pursued, as Phelan gave
him the benefit of his pop-eyes before he yielded them again to the
stronger will.

"Then they've all escaped," said the thief, easily, thrusting his
hands in his poc