t me assist in the search."

She wrinkled her nose and sniffed. "Hmf! A lot of assistance I can
look for from _you_." Her tone was emphatically disparaging. "No, I
'll find them by myself. But I 'd be afraid to stay--for long--alone
in that empty house."

I cared not in what capacity I served, just so I might be with her.

After making me promise that I would have the scratch on my face
attended to at once, she sent me away.

I had not proceeded far toward town when I discovered that somebody was
dogging my steps.

CHAPTER XXI

SHADOWS

It required some little time for me to determine that my shadow was one
of the "Japanese"; for it was a most intangible and elusive shadow.
Whatever else I might think of these worthies, I could not deny that
their ability to hang on a man's trail, and at the same time keep
themselves well-nigh invisible, amounted positively to genius. With
all my doubling back and lurking in doorways around corners, the fellow
never came up to where I could get a good view of him.

Of course it occurred to me that here was a chance to attempt a
capture. But was it? The fellow was so slippery and artful that I
risked a greater chance of losing him altogether. And then, to capture
one of the quintet--or whatever their number might be--would more
likely than not merely serve as a warning for the ring-leader of the
crowd. Doubtless I could drag nothing at all from the fellow, even
though I did succeed in laying hands upon him. If he had been set to
watch me he would continue to do so unless I scared him away. I
resolved to let him alone for the time being; but the first thing I did
after reaching Dr. De Breen's offices was to ring up headquarters and
request the Captain to send a man to get on my shadow's trail.

The doctor gave me a bad half-hour. The instant he was through I
hurried to a window to learn how events were progressing in the street.
Before I had time to ascertain whether my shadow was still on duty, or
whether the Central Office man had showed up, my whole attention was
absorbed by the appearance of two familiar figures on the opposite
side. They were Mr. Fluette and Alexander Burke, walking along
together in the most intimate manner imaginable.

I glanced at my watch; it still lacked a minute or two of ten, the hour
Mr. Fluette had jotted on his calendar along with the extraordinary
memorandum. Inasmuch as he and his strangely chosen companion were
moving ra