_Ex_actly. Here's the seal

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

Now I'll mark the one, two, and three by crossing the lines, like this:

one,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

two,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

three,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

Now, eliminating all lines not crossed there remains

the one,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

the two,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

the three,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

And here is the entire series:

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbols]

and the zero--"

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

A sudden excitement stirred Harren; he leaned over the paper, gazing
earnestly at the cipher; the Tracer rose and glanced around the room as
though in search of something.

"Is there a telephone here?" he asked.

"For Heaven's sake, don't give this up just yet," exclaimed Harren.
"These things mean numbers; don't you see? Look at that!" pointing to a
linked pair of seals,

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

"That means the number nineteen! You can form it by using only the
crossed lines of the seal.

[Illustration: Cryptographic symbol]

Don't you see, Mr. Keen?"

"Yes, Captain Harren, the cipher is, as you say, very plain; quite as
easy to read as so much handwriting. That is why I wish to use your
telephone--at once, if you please."

"It's in my bedroom; you don't mind if I go on working out this cipher
while you're telephoning?"

"Not in the least," said the Tracer blandly. He walked into the
Captain's bedroom, closing the door behind him; then he stepped over to
the telephone, unhooked the receiver, and called up his own
headquarters.

"Hello. This is Mr. Keen. I want to speak to Miss Borrow."

In a few moments Miss Borrow answered: "I am here, Mr. Keen."

"Good. Look up the name Inwood. Try New York first--Edith Inwood is the
name. Look sharp, please; I am holding the wire."

He held it for ten full minutes; then Miss Borrow's low voice called him
over the wire.

"Go ahead," said the Tracer quietly.

"There is only one Edith Inwood in New York, Mr. Keen--Miss Edith
Inwood, graduate of Barnard, 1902--left an orphan 1903 and obliged to
support herself--became an assistant to Professor Boggs of the Museum of
Inscriptions. Is considered an authority upon Arabian cryptograms. Has
written a monograph on the Herati symbol--a short treatise on the
Swastika. She is twenty-four years