y--"

He hesitated, glancing questioningly from Archie to the Governor.

"You may trust Saulsbury. We have knowledge of some other things that
make it necessary for us all to stand together."

"This fellow seemed to have no business here," Congdon continued. "He
said he was staying at Calderville, farther down the road, and pretended
to be looking for a quiet hotel to bring his family to. He thought
Huddleston might do. He looked me over in a way I didn't like. You
remember, Comly, I took you into my confidence about a little difficulty
I had before I came here--"

"That little affair on the Maine coast? It was a shooting, Saulsbury,"
Archie explained soberly.

"Extraordinary!" exclaimed the Governor. "Mr. Congdon, you may command
my services in any manner whatsoever. Now and then it has been my
fortune to be able to pull a friend out of trouble. Pray consider me
wholly at your service."

He listened gravely while Congdon described the shooting at Bailey
Harbor. He was convinced that he had shot a burglar who died of the
wound, and that the injury from which he had just recovered had been
inflicted by his victim.

"You have troubled about this matter quite unnecessarily," the Governor
declared with a wave of the hand. "I can see that yours is a sensitive
nature, with imagination highly developed. You were in your own house,
and had every right to be there; and certainly no jury would ever
convict you of murder where you were only defending yourself against a
scoundrel who did his best to kill you."

Congdon brightened perceptibly at this broad-minded view of the matter
and flashed a look of relief at Archie, who was quietly smoking.

"It's most fortunate that we three have met here, gentlemen and
murderers all!" the Governor went on airily. "Comly tells me that he too
has been dodging the police. To make you both feel perfectly at ease
I'll be equally frank and say that for nearly seven years I've been
mixed up with the leading crooks of this country; not for profit; no,
decidedly not; but merely for the fun of the thing."

Archie pretended to share Congdon's surprise at this confession,
delivered without the quiver of an eyelash.

"I should never have guessed it," said Congdon. "I had sized you up as a
college professor, or perhaps a lecturer on applied ethics," he added
with a laugh; "we hardly look the black wretches we are!"

"Let us hope not! But now to business. We seem to be fellows with a
pretty t