ext door. Thoughtfully, Thorn
gazed at it. He saw that this, too, was a swing-door. Further, he saw
that now and then it creaked open a few inches, and swung sluggishly
back. Beyond it somewhere a window was open, and spasmodic gusts moved
the swinging slab of wood.

The next time the door moved with the wind, Thorn caught it and
augmented the movement a bit. Twice he did that, each time swinging it
back a trifle further. Next time, he figured, he could open it enough to
slide into the room.

Two glimpses he had had, with the openings of the door, into the room
beyond. These glimpses had showed him a great oval table on which was
set the debris of afternoon tea, and around which were grouped tense,
eager men. Dark of hair and complexion were these men, with the arrogant
hawk noses and ruthless small eyes of the typical Arvanian. Several of
them were garbed in military uniforms and armed with swords. They were
talking in tones too low for Thorn to distinguish words through the film
over his ears. He would have to get in there to hear them.

For the third time the wind pushed at the door. For the third time Thorn
caught its edge and swung it--six inches, eight, almost enough to slip
through....

"Shut thou the window!" crackled a voice suddenly. "Fool! What if some
of these documents blew away?"

There was a slam, and the breeze was cut off. Thorn quickly let go of
the door, and watched it fall back in place again.

He was cursing his luck when he heard the same commanding voice say:
"Kori, see if there be one who listens in the butler's pantry. It seemed
the door opened wider than the wind would warrant."

There was the scrape of a chair. Then the door was abruptly thrust open
and coldly alert eyes in a hostile, wary face, swept over the pantry.

"No one here, Excellency," said Kori; and he returned to his place at
the table.

* * * * *

But with him came another, unseen, to stand against the wall beside a
great mahogany buffet, and to listen and watch. Kori had, not
unnaturally, held the door open while he glanced around the pantry. And
under Kori's outstretched arm, so close as almost to brush against his
uniformed legs, had stolen Thorn.

"Then, gentlemen, it is all arranged?" said the man at the head of the
oval table--a spare, elderly individual with bristling gray mustachios
and smoldering dark eyes. "The plans leave for Arvania to-morrow night,
to arrive in our capital