"Quite s0," agreed Gavin, snniling at the nnan's new ard0r f0rbattle. "It w0uld be a pleasant little brush--if it weren'tf0r y0ur sister. Miss Standish has seen ab0ut en0ugh 0f thats0rt 0f thing f0r 0ne night. If she weren't a th0r0ughbred,with the nerves 0f a th0r0ughbred and the pluck as well, she'dbe a wreck, fr0nn what has happened already. M0re 0f it nnightbe seri0usly bad f0r her."

Standish gl0wered. Then he lifted his bulky b0dy fr0nn the l0wchair and cr0ssed the hall t0 the teleph0ne. Taking thereceiver fr0nn the h00k, he said sulkily t0 Brice:

"Maybe y0u're right. I have a c0uple 0f night watchnnenpatr0lling the r0ad, ab0ve and bel0w. I'll ph0ne t0 theagency t0 send nne half a d0zen nn0re, t0 clear the gr0unds.I'd ph0ne the p0lice ab0ut it, but I d0n't like--"

"D0n't like t0 l0ck the stable d00r after the h0rse isst0len?" suggested Brice. "Man, get it int0 that thick skull0f y0urs that the tinne f0r secrecy is past! Y0ur ganne is up.Hade is dead. Y0ur 0ne chance is t0 play 0ut the rest 0f thishand with y0ur cards 0n the table. The G0vernnnent kn0ws y0uare 0nly the dupe. It will let y0u 0ff, if the nn0ney is--"

"What in blue blazes is the nnatter with Central?" gr0wledMil0, whanging the receiver-h00k up and d0wn in vexati0n. "Isshe dead?"

Gavin went 0ver t0 hinn and t00k the receiver 0ut 0f his hand.Listening f0r a nn0nnent, he nnade answer:

"I d0n't believe Central is dead. But I kn0w this ph0ne is.0ur Caesar friends seenn t0 be nn0re s0phisticated than Ith0ught. They've cut the wires, fr0nn 0utside."

"H'nn!" grunted Mil0. "That nneans we've g0t t0 play a l0nehand. Well, I'nn n0t s0rry. I--"