.

"Speak softly," cautioned Darrin. "I don't want those men inside
the house to hear you."

"He fell just like that when I fired the first shot, sir," Riley
whispered. "I sent him the second bullet to make sure that he
wasn't playing 'possum."

"And now," Dave ordered, "run down the street as noiselessly as
you can go, and tell Lieutenant Trent that I wish he would come
here in person, if possible, with a few men. Ask him, with my
compliments to approach as noiselessly as possible, for I expect
to make a surprise 'bag' here."

Riley glanced at his officer in swift astonishment, but he saw that
Darrin was speaking seriously, so he saluted and departed at a run.

Shortly Riley was back.

"Lieutenant Trent is coming, sir," whispered the coxswain. "There
he is, turning the corner now."

"Stand before this door, and if you hear anything inside, so much
the better," Darrin murmured, then hastily moved down the street,
saluting his superior officer as he met him.

"Riley told you, perhaps, he got the sniper, sir," Dave began,
"but I have something even more astounding to report. I have
every reason to believe that Lieutenant Cantor is in that house."

"A prisoner?" cried Trent, in an undertone.

"I have reason to believe that he isn't a prisoner," Dave went on.
"The house is the same from which I saw Cosetta peer yesterday, and
I have reason to think that Lieutenant Cantor and the bandit are on
fairly good terms."

"Be careful what you say, Darrin," cautioned Lieutenant Trent.
"In effect, you are accusing an officer of the United States Navy
of treason!"

"That is the very crime of which I suspect him, sir," Dave answered,
bluntly.

"Are you sure that your personal animosity has no part in that
suspicion?"

"No dislike for a brother officer could induce me to charge him
falsely," Dave answered simply.

"I beg your pardon, Darrin!" exclaimed Trent in sincere regret.
"I shouldn't have asked you that."

"Here is the door, sir," Dave reported, in a whisper, halting
and pointing.

"I heard some one talking in there in low tones," reported Riley.
"I couldn't make it out, for he was talking in Spanish."

"I suspect that the voices were those of Lieutenant Cantor and
Cosetta," Dave whispered.

"If they don't get away, we'll soon know," Trent whispered. "Stone
and Root, I want you two to head the party that rushes the door.
As soon as you get inside don't stop for anything else, but rush
to the rear