rkness and they
could make out their surroundings. In the rear it was perfectly dark and
on each side of the narrow passageway the dark, grimy walls rose sheer
for perhaps twenty-five feet. The place reeked with the smell of foul
air and tobacco smoke.

Now that the light shattered the blackness the little man, who had
advanced as soft-footed and as sure-footed as a cat in spite of the
darkness, increased his stride and made toward the light. He brought up
directly against another door, through cracks in which the light
streamed. Here he turned to Hal and Chester.

"I am Jean Garnier," he said. "And you?"

"Hugo Choteau," replied Hal, giving the first name that came into his
mind.

"I am Victor Doubet," said Chester, and added to himself, "I hope I can
remember it."

He kept repeating it over and over to himself, that he might grow
accustomed to it.

"_Bien_," said Jean. "Come! I shall introduce you to my friends."

He knocked sharply on the door--three light taps, followed by one loud
tap.

From within came the sound of scraping chairs, followed by footsteps
approaching the door. Came the sound of bars being removed and placed on
the floor and a bolt shot back with a crash. Light immediately flooded
the passageway as the door was opened a crack and an evil-looking face
peered forth.

"Oh, it is you, Jean," he said, after peering intently at the lads'
guide. "Come in."

He threw the door open wider.

"Yes, it is I," said the Apache, "and with me two friends."

"If they are friends of yours they are welcome," said the man inside.

The three entered the room together and the man who had opened the door
immediately re-bolted and re-barred it.

Inside Hal and Chester looked quickly about, but still not so as to give
an impression of undue curiosity. The room was perfectly bare, except for
a single large table and probably fifty old wooden chairs, which were
scattered about without regard to order. At the far end of the room there
was another door, but except for this there was no means of egress.

In various parts of the room sat perhaps a dozen men, all of evil visage,
their hats pulled low over their eyes, cigarettes protruding from their
lips at a drooping angle. They paid no heed to the entrance of Jean, Hal
and Chester, although, from under their hats, they eyed them keenly.

Jean turned to the man who had admitted them and introduced the two lads
with a flourish of his right hand.

"These, Georg