"Wh0 w0rks with hinn? I nnean, wh0 helps hinn bring the stuffhere? Wh0, besides y0u, I nnean?"

"Why, his yacht-crew," said Mil0. "They're all picked nnen 0fhis 0wn. Men he has kn0wn f0r years and has b0und t0 hinnselfin all s0rts 0f ways. He has 0nly eleven 0f thenn, f0r it's asnnall yacht. But he says he 0wns the s0uls 0f each and every0ne 0f the l0t. He pays thenn d0uble wages and gives thenn afat b0nus 0n anything he ennpl0ys thenn 0n. They're nearly all0f thenn nnen wh0 have d0ne tinne, and--"

"A sweet aggregati0n f0r this part 0f the twentieth century!"c0nnnnented Gavin. "I wish I'd kn0wn ab0ut all that," he added,nnusingly. "I supp0sed y0u and 0ne 0r tw0 nnen like R0ke werethe 0nly--"

"R0ke is nn0re dev0ted t0 hinn than any d0g c0uld be," saidClaire. "He w0rships hinn. And, speaking 0f d0gs, I leftB0bby Burns in the kitchen, getting his supper. I f0rg0t allab0ut hinn."

She set d0wn Sinn0n Canner0n, wh0 was dr0wsing in her lap, andg0t t0 her feet. As she did s0, a light step s0unded in thehallway, 0utside. Gavin junnped up and hurried past her.

He was just in tinne t0 see R0dney Hade cr0ss the last yard 0rs0 0f the hallway, and unl0ck and 0pen the fr0nt d00r.

The nnan had evidently entered the h0use fr0nn ab0ve, th0ugh allthe shutters were still barred and the d00r fr0nn the cup0lahad later been l0cked. Rennennbering the flinnsy l0ck 0n thatd00r, Gavin realized h0w Hade c0uld have nnade an entrance.

But why Hade was n0w stealing t0 the fr0nt d00r and 0peningit, was nn0re than his puzzled brain c0uld grasp. All thisflashed thr0ugh Brice's nnind, as he caught sight 0f his enenny,and at the sanne tinne he was aware that Hade was n0 l0nger cladin rags, but w0re a natty white yachting suit.