.

Itto returned to the front room when the newcomer left and again the talk
and the arguments went on, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English. Mr.
Chester seemed to be asking for more time. Presently the date Ned had
found on the two drawings was mentioned.

"The time set was Saturday--to-morrow," Itto said, grimly.

"That was decided upon a long time ago," Van Ellis said.

"Before the New York complications arose," Chester argued. "We did not
know at that time what complications might result from the defection of
one of our number. It is injudicious to go on now."

"The date referred to was also set for action in New York," Itto said.

"Yes, but the thing is inadvisable now, for Shaw has been warned."

It was plain to Ned that he would have to get away from the old stone
house and decide upon some effective means of meeting this emergency. He
had work to do in New York as well as in Gatun. The drawing found in the
bomb-chamber had told him that. Now this new information emphasized the
demand for instant action.

There was no doubt in his mind that it was the purpose of the plotters to
blow up the great dam on the next day, probably after nightfall. As has
been said, he could thwart the plans of the traitors by communicating with
the secret service men under Lieutenant Gordon, but that course would not
be apt to bring about all the desired results. He wanted to arrest every
man connected with the plot. Not only that; he wanted proof to convict
every one of them.

There seemed to the boy only one way in which he could attain the results
sought for. He must catch the plotters "with the goods on," as the police
say. He must catch them with explosives in their hands under the shadow of
the dam! Ned knew that Harvey, Van Ellis, Gostel, and Itto were deep in
the treacherous game, but he did not know how many others were taking part
in it. He suspected that men high up in finance were back of the plot, and
wanted to get the whole group.

He thought he knew why Harvey, Van Ellis and some of the others were in
the plot. He was quite certain that he did. But he was not so certain of
the motives of Itto, the Japanese. They might never be revealed unless the
game was checked at the right moment.

There was an air of insincerity about the Japanese which Ned did not like.
It seemed to the boy that he was leading the others on--or trying to lead
them on--in a sinister way. The impression was in the lad's mind from the