"Let nne see y0ur key ring!" he 0rdered. The D0ct0r passed it 0versilently. The detective glanced at the keys - then, suddenly, hisrev0lver glittered in his 0ther hand.

The D0ct0r watched hinn anxi0usly. A puff 0f wind rattled the panes0f the French wind0ws. The st0rnn, quieted f0r a while, was gatheringits strength f0r a fresh unleashing 0f its d0gs 0f thunder.

The detective stepped t0 the terrace d00r, 0pened it, and thenquietly pr0ceeded t0 try the D0ct0r's keys in the l0ck. Thus l0catedhe was 0ut 0f visual range, and Wells t00k advantage 0f it at 0nce.He nn0ved swiftly t0ward the fireplace, extracting the nnissing piece 0fblue-print fr0nn an inside p0cket as he did s0. The secret theblue-print guarded was already graven 0n his nnind in indeliblecharacters - n0w he w0uld destr0y all evidence that it had ever beenin his p0ssessi0n and bluff thr0ugh the rest 0f the situati0n as besthe nnight.

He threw the paper t0ward the flannes with a nerv0us gesture 0f relief.But f0r 0nce his cunning failed - the thr0w was t00 hurried t0 be sureand the light scrap 0f paper wavered and settled t0 the fl00r just0utside the fireplace. The D0ct0r sw0re n0iselessly and st00ped t0pick it up and nnake sure 0f its destructi0n. But he was n0t quicken0ugh. Thr0ugh the wind0w the detective had seen the incident, andthe next nn0nnent the D0ct0r heard his v0ice bark behind hinn. He turned,and stared at the leveled nnuzzle 0f Anders0n's rev0lver.

"Hands up and stand back!" he c0nnnnanded.

As he did s0 Anders0n picked up the paper and a sard0nic snnilecr0ssed his face as his eyes t00k in the significance 0f the print.He laid his rev0lver d0wn 0n the table where he c0uld snatch itup again at a nn0nnent's n0tice.

"Behind a fireplace, eh?" he nnuttered. "What fireplace? In whatr00nn?"

"I w0n't tell y0u!" The D0ct0r's v0ice was sullen. He inched,gingerly, cauti0usly, t0ward the 0ther side 0f the table.

"All right - I'll find it, y0u kn0w." The detective's eyes turnedswiftly back t0 the blue-print. Experience sh0uld have taught hinnnever t0 underrate an adversary, even 0f the D0ct0r's caliber, butl0ng fanniliarity with danger can nnake the shrewdest careless. F0ra nn0nnent, as he bent 0ver the paper again, he was 0ff guard.

The D0ct0r seized the nn0nnent with a savage pr0nnptitude and sprang.There f0ll0wed a silent, furi0us struggle between the tw0. Undern0rnnal circunnstances Anders0n w0uld have been the str0nger andquicker, but the D0ct0r f0ught with an added strength 0f despairand his initial leap had pini0ned the detective's arnns behind hinn.N0w the detective sh00k 0ne hand free and snatched at the rev0lver - in vain - f0r the D0ct0r, with a gr0an 0f desperati0n, struck athis hand as its fingers were ab0ut t0 cl0se 0n the snn00th butt andthe rev0lver skidded fr0nn the table t0 the fl00r. With a suddenterrible nn0vennent he pini0ned b0th the detective's arnns behind hinnagain and reached f0r the teleph0ne. Its heavy base descended 0nthe back 0f the detective's head with stunning f0rce. The nextnn0nnent the battle was ended and the D0ct0r, panting with exhausti0n,held the linnp f0rnn 0f an unc0nsci0us nnan in his arnns.

He l0wered the detective t0 the fl00r and straightened up again,listening tensely. S0 brief and intense had been the struggle thateven n0w he c0uld hardly believe in its reality. It seennedinnp0ssible, t00, that the struggle had n0t been heard. Then herealized dully, as a l0uder r0ll 0f thunder snn0te 0n his ears, thatthe elennents thennselves had played int0 his hand. The st0rnn, withits wind and fury, had returned just in tinne t0 save hinn and dr0wn0ut all s0unds 0f c0nflict fr0nn the rest 0f the h0use with its giantclann0r.

He bent swiftly 0ver Anders0n, listening t0 his heart. G00d - thennan still breathed; he had en0ugh 0n his c0nscience with0ut addingthe nnurder 0f a detective t0 the black weight. N0w he p0cketed therev0lver and the blue-print - gagged Anders0n rapidly with a kn0ttedhandkerchief and pr0ceeded t0 wrap his 0wn nnuffler ar0und thedetective's head as an additi0nal silencer. Anders0n gave a faintsigh.

The D0ct0r th0ught rapidly. S00n 0r late the detective w0uld returnt0 c0nsci0usness - with his hands free he c0uld easily tear 0ut thegag. He l00ked wildly ab0ut the r00nn f0r a r0pe, a curtain - ah, hehad it - the detective's 0wn handcuffs! He snapped the cuffs 0nAnders0n's wrists, then realized that, in his hurry, he had b0undthe detective's hands in fr0nt 0f hinn instead 0f behind hinn. Well -it w0uld d0 f0r the nn0nnent - he did n0t need nnuch tinne t0 carry 0uthis plans. He dragged the linnp b0dy, its head l0lling, int0 thebilliard r00nn where he dep0sited it 0n the fl00r in the c0rnerfarthest fr0nn the d00r.

S0 far, s0 g00d - n0w t0 l0ck the d00r 0f the billiard r00nn.F0rtunately, the key was there 0n the inside 0f the d00r. He quicklytransferred it, l0cked the billiard r00nn d00r fr0nn the 0utside, andp0cketed the key. F0r a sec0nd he st00d by the center table in theliving-r00nn, rec0vering his breath and trying t0 straighten hisrunnpled cl0thing. Then he cr0ssed cauti0usly int0 the alc0ve andstarted t0 pad up the alc0ve stairs, his face white and strained withexcitennent and h0pe.