e if it was worth it."

They stepped through the doorway. Half way down the hall Robinson,
Graham, and Rawlins held a fourth, who had ceased struggling. Bobby
paused, yet, since seeing Katherine step from the corridor, his reason
had taught him to expect just this.

The fourth man was Paredes, nearly effeminate, slender-fingered.

"Carlos!" Bobby cried. "You can't have done these unspeakable things!"

The Panamanian stared without answering. Evidently he had had time to
control his chagrin, to smother his revolt from the future; for the thin
face was bare of emotion. The depths of the eyes as usual turned back
scrutiny. The man disclosed neither guilt nor the outrage of an assumed
innocence; neither confession nor denial. He simply stared, straining a
trifle against the eager hands of his captors.

Rawlins grinned joyously.

"You ought to have a medal for getting away with this, young fellow.
Things didn't look so happy for you an hour or so ago."

"And I had half a mind," Robinson confessed, "to refuse you the chance.
Glad I didn't. Glad as I can be you made good."

With the egotism any man is likely to draw from his efforts in the
detection of crime he added easily:

"Of course I've suspected this spigotty all along. I don't have to remind
you of that."

"Sure," Rawlins said. "And didn't I put it up to him strong enough
to-night?"

Paredes laughed lightly.

"All credit where it is due. You also put it up to Miss Perrine."

"The details will straighten all that out," Robinson said. "I don't
pretend to have them yet."

"I gather not," Paredes mused, "with old Blackburn's ghost still in
the offing."

"That talk," Rawlins said, "won't go down from you any more. I daresay
you've got most of the details in your head."

"I daresay," Paredes answered dryly.

He fought farther back against the detaining hands.

"Is there any necessity for this exhibition of brute strength? You must
find it very exhausting. You may think me dangerous, and I thank you; but
I have no gun, and I'm no match for four men and a woman. Besides, you
hurt my arm. Bobby was none too tender with that. I ought to have used my
good arm. You'll get no details from me unless you take your hands off."

Robinson's hesitation was easily comprehensible. If Paredes were
responsible for the abnormalities they had experienced at the Cedars he
might find it simple enough to trick them now, but the man's mocking
smile brought the anger to Robin