bs, and it is no great trick to set
a trigger-catch with the weapon in your pocket.

"Stand there," said Indiman, pointing to the far end of the table, and
the man obeyed.

"And now, Grenelli," continued Indiman, bluntly, "I want the truth
about this affair. Bah, man! don't begin to shuffle about like that.
This isn't the original package delivered by Redfield & Company to the
Oceanic Express for shipment to England. You know it and I know it, so
we'll just acknowledge a true bill and go on with the evidence.

"A counterfeit, then, of the real thing. But why? That's what we're
after now. Simple robbery? Or is there another reason why this
particular package was intended to be shipped on the steamship Russia,
sailing to-day at four o'clock sharp? You see the point, don't you?

"I admit, Grenelli, that you are a clever man. Since the dynamite
outrage on the Icelandic six months ago great care has been taken in
the supervision of shipments, for the fast steamers and the Oceanic
Express Company require that the contents of every package shall be
visibly made known to them before it can be accepted. But once it is
inspected and officially labelled it goes through without further
difficulty, the steamship people being content with the express
company's guarantee.

"And now be kind enough to give me your very best attention. This
morning, at ten o'clock, one of these officially registered packages
disappeared from the wagon that you were driving. At half-past two this
afternoon the parcel is returned to messenger Day, coming through your
hands. Now, how long did it take you to make up this dummy--seal,
stamp, and all? Of course, you had stolen what you needed for the
forgery from the company office--all but the Redfield & Company label,
and that you soaked off the original package and reaffixed to this one.

"It wasn't a plausible story that you told Day, but you knew the boy
wouldn't be particular over trifles. All he cared about was the cloud
upon his honesty. You figured that the package would be returned,
perfunctorily examined for identification, and immediately sent on
board the steamer. How much picrate or dynamite does it take to knock
out the biggest steamship afloat? You could get enough of the stuff in
a box of this size--couldn't you? And how were you going to set it off?
Clockwork, of course. But why were you so stupid as to use a clumsy
mechanism whose ticking could be heard a block away? Listen to it now."