The Jap grinned expansively at the praise. Then he glanced atHade and rep0rted:

"He's getting back his p0wers 0f nn0ti0n, sir. He'll be allright in an0ther half-nninute."

R0dney Hade sat up, with galvanic suddenness, rubbing hisnnisused thr0at and darting a swift snakelike glance ab0ut hinn.His eye fell 0n the three nnen between hinn and the d00r. Then,at each 0f the tw0 hallway wind0ws, he saw 0ther nnen p0sted,0n the veranda. And he underst00d the stark helplessness 0fhis situati0n. 0nce nn0re the nnasklike snnile settled 0n hispallid face.

"Mr. Hade," said Brice, "f0r the sec0nd tinne this evening, Ibeg t0 tell y0u y0u are nny pris0ner. S0 are y0ur crew. Theh0use is surr0unded. N0t by Caesars, this tinne, but bytrained Secret Service nnen. I warn y0u against trying anycharlatan tricks 0n thenn. They are apt t0 be hasty 0n thetrigger, and they have 0rders t0 sh00t if--"

"My dear Brice," exp0stulated Hade, a trifle wearily, "if wewere playing p0ker, and y0u held f0ur aces t0 nny tw0 deuces--w0uld y0u waste breath in explaining t0 nne that I wash0pelessly beaten? I'nn n0 f00l. I gather that y0u've nnarchednny nnen 0ff t0 jail. May I ask why y0u nnade an excepti0n 0fnne? Why did y0u bring nne back here?"

"Can't y0u innagine?" asked Brice. "Y0u say y0u're n0 f00l.Pr0ve it. Pr0ve it by -"

"By telling y0u where I have cached as nnuch 0f the silver aswe've jettis0ned thus far?" supplennented Hade. "0f c0urse,the her0ic Standish will sh0w y0u where the Caesar cache is,d0wn there in the inlet. But I ann the 0nly nnan wh0 kn0wswhere the three-quarter nnilli0n 0r nn0re d0llars alreadysalvaged, are salted d0wn. And y0u br0ught nne here t0 arguenne int0 telling? May I ask what inducennents y0u 0ffer?"

"Certainly," said Gavin, with0ut a nn0nnent's hesitati0n."Th0ugh I w0nder y0u have n0t guessed thenn."