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I. THE GATHERING CLOUD 11

II. BAT SCANLON IS SURPRISED 21

III. THE CLOUD GROWS DARKER 32

IV. ASHTON-KIRK MAKES ONE VISIT, AND PLANS ANOTHER 50

V. THE HOUND AND THE SCENT 68

VI. ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS 79

VII. SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS 88

VIII. SCANLON MAKES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE 100

IX. A PLACE OF FEAR 113

X. THROUGH THE WINDOW 124

XI. DENNISON TALKS ONCE MORE 132

XII. A DOUBLE SHADOW 142

XIII. SOMETHING UNEXPECTED 157

XIV. ASHTON-KIRK VISITS HEADQUARTERS 170

XV. SCANLON STATES HIS POSITION 179

XVI. "CONFESSED!" 192

XVII. THE WATERS ARE TROUBLED 203

XVIII. NORA GOES TO STANWICK 216

XIX. IN THE DARK 225

XX. QUEER INTELLIGENCE 234

XXI. WHAT THE BURGLAR SAID AT GAFFNEY'S 243

XXII. WHAT DANNY SAW AT QUIGLEY'S 260

XXIII. A WOMAN! 270

XXIV. MR. QUIGLEY IS INTERVIEWED 285

XXV. NORA TALKS AND SCANLON LISTENS 297

XXVI. CONCLUSION 309

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

HE WAS STEADFASTLY WATCHING THE GIRL _Frontispiece_

"EVERY CHAMBER LOADED" 74

HE LIFTED THE BLADE ONCE MORE 146

THEN THE DOOR SWUNG OPEN 294

CHAPTER I

THE GATHERING CLOUD

Impatiently, Ashton-Kirk threw down the last of the morning newspap