turing angularly. With no good
humor, the hotel-keeper pulled open the table drawer once more and
replaced the thing he had taken out; the bald head wagged in protest;
every motion he made suggested a man convinced against his will. Deep in
his inner consciousness, Bat Scanlon had a stirring of unrest. He
recalled the words of Big Slim while they were still at Sheehan's:

"'I lost out on that deal, bo; but that's not all. More's to follow;
and this time I'll get mine.'"

And then the business of which he had spoken when he left Bat in the
hall only a short time before.

"I wonder if it could have anything to do with the other matter," Bat
questioned himself. "I wonder if what they are talking about is----" He
stopped. At the window next that through which he saw the men, he caught
a stir. A shadow--a woman's shadow--moved stealthily across the wall
toward the two, whose backs were turned; the hands were outstretched as
though reaching for something. Then the woman herself appeared in the
full flare of the light, and paused at a small stand; a revolver lay
there, and it was for this she was reaching. As she took it up, she
turned her head; and for the first time Bat had a full view of her face.
It was Nora Cavanaugh!

CHAPTER X

THROUGH THE WINDOW

For a moment Bat Scanlon stood as one petrified; there was Nora,
beautiful Nora Cavanaugh, the yellow light in the meshes of the glorious
bronze hair, the splendid figure held tense and quivering, the revolver
in her hand and her face turned toward the two men. Then he exhaled a
long breath, and wiped the drops of perspiration from his face.

"It's Nora, all right," he whispered. "It's Nora! But what in the name
of the seven staggering Siwashes is she doing here? What does she----?"
he paused abruptly, his eyes still upon her. With the revolver held
tight she crept stealthily toward Big Slim and the Swiss. The breath
drew hard in Bat's throat as he proceeded. "But why bother to ask what
she's doing? If I ever saw a person's meaning spelled out in full by the
actions, here is the time. Those two guys at the table have only another
second or two, and then they are due for the surprise of their lives."

But just when it seemed as though the girl could reach out her hand and
touch either of the two, she stopped. To Bat's surprise she sank down
upon her knees, turned her head sideways, and was motionless.

"What's that?" demanded Bat, whisperingly, his eyes wide o