orning paper from his pocket.

"We was way off," he said. "I told you I didn't dast figger out how fat
it was. Look at that."

He pointed to the head lines on the first page. "SWIFT NEMESIS ON
BUJANNOFF'S TRACK," they read. "MURDERED IN HIS SLEEP AFTER ROBBING HIS
PARTNER."

"There you have it!" Matt cried. "He robbed his partner--robbed him
like a dirty thief."

"Half a million of jewels missin'," Jim read aloud. He put the paper
down and stared at Matt.

"That's what I told you," the latter said. "What in thunder do we know
about jools? Half a million!--an' the best I could figger it was a
hundred thousan'. Go on an' read the rest of it."

They read on silently, their heads side by side, the untouched coffee
growing cold; and ever and anon one or the other burst forth with some
salient printed fact.

"I'd like to seen Metzner's face when he opened the safe at the store
this mornin'," Jim gloated.

"He hit the high places right away for Bujannoff's house," Matt
explained. "Go on an' read."

"Was to have sailed last night at ten on the _Sajoda_ for the South
Seas--steamship delayed by extra freight----"

"That's why we caught 'm in bed," Matt interrupted. "It was just
luck--like pickin' a fifty-to-one winner."

"_Sajoda_ sailed at six this mornin'----"

"He didn't catch her," Matt said. "I saw his alarm clock was set at
five. That'd given 'm plenty of time ... only I come along an' put the
_kibosh_ on his time. Go on."

"Adolph Metzner in despair--the famous Haythorne pearl
necklace--magnificently assorted pearls--valued by experts at from fifty
to seventy thousan' dollars."

Jim broke off to say solemnly, "Those oyster-eggs worth all that money!"

He licked his lips and added, "They was beauties an' no mistake."

"Big Brazilian gem," he read on. "Eighty thousan' dollars--many valuable
gems of the first water--several thousan' small diamonds well worth
forty thousan'."

"What you don't know about jools is worth knowin'," Matt smiled good
humoredly.

"Theory of the sleuths," Jim read. "Thieves must have known--cleverly
kept watch on Bujannoff's actions--must have learned his plan and
trailed him to his house with the fruits of his robbery--"

"Clever--" Matt broke out. "That's the way reputations is made ... in
the noos-papers. How'd we know he was robbin' his pardner?"

"Anyway, we've got the goods," Jim grinned. "Let's look at 'em again."

He assured himself that the door was locked and bolt