to another job. The Rheinholdt woman has got her jewels
back, or will have at noon to-day. I bet she won't worry about the thief.
Then the Professor's mouldy old skeleton was returned to him, even if it
was burnt up afterwards. I should take on something fresh."

"Can't be done," Quest replied shortly. "Look here, girls, your average
intellects are often apt to hit upon the truth, when a man who sees too
far ahead goes wrong. Rule Craig out. Any other possible person occur to
you?--Speak out, Lenora. You've something on your mind, I can see."

The girl swung around in her chair. There was a vague look of trouble upon
her face.

"I'm afraid you'll laugh at me," she began tentatively.

"Won't hurt you if I do," Quest replied.

"I can't help thinking of Macdougal," Lenora continued falteringly. "He
has never been recaptured, and I don't know whether he's dead or alive. He
had a perfect passion for jewels. If he is alive, he would be desperate
and would attempt anything."

Quest smoked in silence for a moment.

"I guess the return of the jewels squelches the Macdougal theory," he
remarked. "He wouldn't be likely to part with the stuff when he'd once got
his hands on it. However, I always meant, when we had a moment's spare
time, to look into that fellow's whereabouts. We'll take it on straight
away. Can't do any harm."

"I know the section boss on the railway at the spot where he disappeared,"
Laura announced.

"Then just take the train down to Mountways--that's the nearest spot--and
get busy with him," Quest directed. "Try and persuade him to loan us the
gang's hand-car to go down the line. Lenora and I will come on in the
automobile."

"Take you longer," Lenora remarked, as she moved off to put on her jacket.
"The cars do it in half an hour."

"Can't help that," Quest replied. "Mrs. Rheinholdt's coming here to
identify her jewels at twelve o'clock, and I can't run any risk of there
being no train back. You'd better be making good with the section boss.
Take plenty of bills with you."

"Sure! That's easy enough," Laura promised him. "I'll be waiting for you."

She hurried off and Quest commenced his own preparations. From his safe he
took one of the small black lumps of explosive to which he had once before
owed his life, and fitted it carefully in a small case with a coil of wire
and an electric lighter. He looked at his revolver and recharged it.
Finally he rang the bell for his confidential valet.

"Ro