etting their own acrobatics while they watched him, and Johnny,
with an eye on his gas gauge and his mind recurring to his parting
words with Captain Riley, straightened out reluctantly and got his
bearings. There was room enough for one more nose dive, and he took it
exuberantly, trying to see how many turns he could make before he must
quit or smash into a building or something.

There was the field, just ahead of him. He flattened, banked, and came
down circumspectly enough, considering how his head was whirling when
he finally came to a stand. He crawled out, looking first at Schwab to
see what he was doing.

What Schwab was doing has no bearing whatever on this story. Schwab
was not feeling well, wherefore he was not showing any interest
whatever in his surroundings and probable future. John Ivan Jewel
laughed unfeelingly while he beckoned a guard who was coming up at a
trot and needed no beckoning.

"Here's another man for your boss to take charge of," Johnny announced.
"And lead me to him right now. I've got a date with him."

This guard was a new guard and looked dubious. But presently the
captain's orderly appeared and took charge of the situation, so Johnny
straight-way found himself standing before Captain Riley "Well, I'm
back," he announced cheerfully. "And I've got Schwab out there."

Captain Riley dismissed the orderly before he unbent enough to reply.
But then he shook hands with John Ivan Jewel just as though he had not
seen him a couple of hours before. He was a very pleased Captain
Riley, as he showed by the broad grin he wore on his freckled Irish
face.

"Schwab," he said, "will be taken care of. He's a deserter from the
army, you know. Held a captaincy and disgraced the uniform in various
ways, the crowning infamy being the sale of some important information,
a year or so ago when things were at the touchiest point with Mexico.
We nearly had him, but he deserted and got across the line, and since
then he has been raising all kinds of cain in government affairs. Of
course, his capture is a little out of my line, but I don't mind
telling you that it's a big thing for me to have both these men turned
over to me. I can't go into details, of course--you would not be
especially interested in them if I could. But it's a big thing, and I
want you to know--"

The telephone interrupted him, and he turned to answer it.

"Yes, yes, this is Captain Riley speaking. Yes, who is this, please