remark, and
ordered that her car be brought. A few moments later she had taken the
wheel and was soon out of sight of Brent Rock.

Close pressed against a wall of a back lane of the cove fishing-village,
Locke was standing, waiting for the men whom his chief had promised to
send.

Finally they came to him, first making their coming known to Locke by a
peculiar low whistle.

"The other two will be along directly," whispered one of the pair.
"Thought it better not to come in a bunch."

As Locke laid his plans, the other two came from out of the shadows.

The entire party now moved cautiously toward Old Tom's shack. Just
before they arrived one of the men said that he could see two figures
entering the place. But as Locke had seen nothing, no attention was paid
to the remark.

Locke now placed one of his men on either side of the door. The other
two he sent to the rear, so that they could surround the gang.

He knocked at the door. This time it was immediately opened. Followed by
the detectives with revolvers drawn, Locke rushed boldly into the shack,
while his other two men closed in from the rear.

The emissaries, finding themselves surrounded, would have capitulated,
probably without a struggle, had not the old hag, to whom no one had
paid much attention, picked up a small anchor and thrown it at Locke and
the advancing detectives.

As it was, the anchor struck Locke a glancing blow and he stumbled
backward against one of his own men, upsetting him. That, of course,
gave the advantage to the thugs, and they advanced, attacking savagely.

It was at too close quarters, in the midst of such a melee, to use guns
without danger of getting one of one's own party. Thus it was a
primitive battle of brute force.

Locke and the detectives were trained men, however, and were surely
gaining the upper hand, so much so that Locke managed to tear himself
loose and dash for the door leading to the attic. He opened it, and
there, with revolver leveled at his head, stood De Luxe Dora.

It was the work of only an instant to disarm her, however, and he rushed
up the stairs, Dora after him.

There was a body lying on the floor--Paul, undoubtedly, thought Locke.

He took it by the shoulder and turned it over, then fell back in
amazement, for there, smiling mockingly at him, was Zita!

"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" jeered Dora.

But it was no time to bandy words, and Locke left them and rushed down
the stair