entered the Conover
apartment briskly.

"You old vagabond, what have you been up to? I beg pardon!"--as he saw
Kitty emerge from behind Cutty's bulk.

"This is Miss Conover, Harrison."

"Very pleased, I'm sure. Luckily my case was in the coat room at the
club. I took the liberty of telephoning for Miss Frances, who returned
on the same ship with me. I concluded that your friend would need a
nurse. Let me have a look at him."

Callously but lightly and skillfully the surgeon examined the battered
head. "Escaped concussion by a hair, you might say. Probably had his cap
on. That black eye, though, is an older affair. Who is he?"

"I suspect he's some political refugee. We don't know a thing about him
otherwise. How soon can he be moved?"

"He ought to be moved at once and given the best of care."

"I can give him that in my eagle's nest. Harrison, this chap's life is
in danger; and if we get him into my lofty diggings they won't be able
to trace him. Not far from here there's a private hospital I know. It
goes through from one street to the next. I know the doctor. We'll have
the ambulance carry the patient there, but at the rear I'll have one
of the office newspaper trucks. And after a little wait we'll shoot the
stretcher into the truck. The police will not bother us. I've seen to
that. I rather believe it falls in with some of my work. The main idea,
of course, is to rid Miss Conover of any trouble."

"Just as you say," agreed the surgeon. "That's all I can do for the
present. I'll run down to the entrance and wait for The nurse."

"Will he live?" asked Kitty.

"Of course he will. He is in good physical condition. Imagine he has
simply been knocked out. Serious only if unattended. Your finding him
probably saved him. Twelve hours will tell the story. May be on his feet
inside a week. Still, it would be advisable to keep him in bed as long
as possible. Fagged out, I should say, from that beard. I'll go down and
wait for Miss Frances."

"And ring three tunes when you return," advised Cutty.

"All right. Did they try to strangle him or did he have something round
his neck?"

"Hanged if I know."

"All out of the room now. I want it dark. Just as soon as the nurse
arrives I'll return. Three rings." Harrison left the apartment.

Cutty spent a few minutes at the telephone, then he joined Kitty in the
living room.

"Kitty, what was the stranger like?"

"Like a gorilla. He spoke English as if he had a cold.