t us
have no opinions before all of the evidence is in. That map may aid us
in forming correct conclusions."

CHAPTER IX

A MYSTERIOUS MAP

It was indeed a curious map which had been reproduced on the large
photographic print which Gladys Ardmore placed on the desk before her
father.

Motioning Curlie to come forward and examine it with them, the magnate
rose from his chair to bend over the map. As Curlie stood there looking
down at it, the girl in her eagerness bent down so close to him that he
felt her warm breath on his cheek.

Nothing, however, could have drawn his gaze from that map. Wrinkled,
torn in places, patched, browned with age, smirched by many finger
marks, all of which were faithfully reproduced by the freshly printed
photograph, it still gave promise of revealing many a mystery if one
could but read it correctly.

It showed both land and water. Here on the land was a picture of a
castle and there on the water a ship. The shore of the land was not
drawn as are maps with which we are in these days familiar, but was cut
up in curious geometric forms which surely could not faithfully
represent the true lines of the shore. Towns were shown, but only on the
shoreline, their names printed in by hand in such small letters as would
require a magnifying glass to read them. Crossing and recrossing the
water in every conceivable direction were innumerable straight lines.
About the edge of the map were eight faces of children. Their cheeks
puffed out as if blowing, they appeared to represent the wind that blew
from certain quarters.

All the writing was in some foreign language. In the lower left-hand
corner was what appeared to be the name of the maker but this was so
blotted out as to be unreadable.

"Huh!" The magnate straightened up. "That's a strange map and appears to
be very ancient, but I can hardly see how it is going to help us with
our present problem."

"There is still the writing," suggested Gladys, turning over the other
photograph.

"That," said Mr. Ardmore, after a moment's study of it, "is written in
some strange tongue and is, I take it, unintelligible to us all."

"It's a photograph of the back of the map," suggested Curlie, pointing
out certain spots where the wrinkles and tears were the same.

"My French teacher will be here at ten o'clock. He knows several
languages. Perhaps he could help us," suggested Gladys.

"We will leave that to him," said her father. "Now about t