aces
rigid with emotion; and then came the explosion, which, without
question, they anticipated."

"You have a description of them?" broke in Delcasse.

"An excellent description. They were men of middle age, heavily built
and clean-shaven. Their faces were deeply tanned, as with long exposure,
and had that fulness about the lips which bespeaks the German. They
wore caps and walking-suits with knee trousers. Each had strapped upon
his back a small knapsack."

Lepine, who had been taking rapid notes, looked up with gleaming eyes.

"We shall find these men," he said. "It will not be difficult."

"More difficult than you suppose, M. Lepine," said Crochard dryly.

Lepine looked at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Crochard turned to Delcasse with a little deprecating gesture.

"Before I proceed," he said, "I must be certain of my position here.
With you, sir, no explanations are necessary; we understand each other
and we have no past to prejudice us. But M. le Prefect and I are old
enemies. We respect each other, but we always welcome an opportunity to
try conclusions. Until this affair is ended, I propose a truce."

"I will go further than that," retorted Lepine, "and call it an
alliance. I shall welcome your help. I have already told M. Delcasse
that you are probably as good a patriot as he or I."

"I shall try to prove that you are right," said Crochard, his eyes
shining. "There is one more condition. In this affair, it may be
necessary for me to call to my assistance certain persons for whom the
police are looking. Should they be recognised while so engaged, no
effort must be made to arrest them."

"I agree," said Lepine, instantly.

Crochard leaned back in his chair with a sigh of satisfaction.

"I am ready to proceed," he said. "Let us, for the time, forget our
differences."

"I have already forgotten them," said Lepine.

Delcasse had listened to this interchange with smiling lips.

"Magnificent!" he cried. "I shall remember this scene all my life. And
now to work!"

"First," said Lepine, "permit me to inquire of Inspector Pigot how it
happened that neither he nor his men heard anything of these two
strangers?"

Pigot flushed darkly and opened his lips to defend himself, but Crochard
silenced him with a little gesture.

"I can explain that," he said. "Pigot is not a genius, it is true, but
neither is he quite a fool, and I should grieve to see him blamed for
something not his fault. I was