Ardmore himself and inviting him to sit
down.

With his head in a whirl, he managed to get himself into a chair. And
all this while he was telling himself things; things like this:
"Curlie, old boy, this is going to be strenuous. This man is powerful,
magnetic, almost hypnotizing. He will find out as much as he can from
you. He will tell as little as is necessary to attain his end. To him
all life is a game, a game in which he conceals much and discovers all
that lies in his opponent's hand. He probably knows you have the goods
on his son. Perhaps he is merely playing a game about this vanishing
son. He may know where he is all the time. If so, he'll want to know
what you know, and what you are going to do. You must be wise--wise as a
serpent."

"Well?" the magnate spoke in a brisk way. "My butler tells me you have
some messages."

"Yes, sir."

"Sent by my missing son?"

"Yes, sir."

"And may I ask," the magnate's face was a mask, not a muscle moved, "how
you happened to be in possession of these messages?"

Curlie could hear his own heart beat, but he held his ground. "Since I
am attached to the government radiophone staff, it is my duty to catch
and record all unfair and illegally sent messages, to record them as
evidence and for future reference."

Curlie fancied he saw the man start. The words that followed were spoken
still in a cold, collected tone.

"These messages you say were unfair?"

"Unfair and illegally sent."

"How illegal?"

"They were sent with exceedingly high power and on 600 meter wave
lengths. Such high power is unlawful for all amateurs and the use of 600
is granted to ships and ship stations alone.

"Ah!"

For a second the man appeared to reflect. Then suddenly:

"We are wasting time. My son has mysteriously disappeared. I have reason
to fear foul play. Let me assure you that I know nothing about his
whereabouts and, previous to this moment, that I have known nothing
regarding these illegally sent messages."

"But--" began Curlie.

"You doubt my word," his voice grew stern and hard as he read the
incredulity in Curlie's eyes. "Young man," he fairly thundered, "fix
this in your mind: No man ever has risen or ever will rise to my present
position through treachery or deceit. When I say a thing is so, by
thunder it _is_ so!"

He struck his desk a terrific blow.

"But a--"

Curlie caught himself just in time. He had been about to reveal the fact
that he was aware of the p