Rick was figuring out some changes in the infrared camera attachment
on the following Monday when Scotty came into the room.

"Just got back from Whiteside with the paper and the mail," he
announced. "And look at this!" He indicated an item on the front page.

It was a Universal News Service dispatch. Authorities of a republic in
the Caribbean had arrested the country's former dictator on a charge
of planning a revolution, pointing to a large cache of arms and
ammunition found on his estate as evidence. Arrested for complicity
was the president of the Compania Maritima Caribe y Atlantica.
Warrants were being issued for a number of others.

"That settles that," Rick said. "Looks like we stopped a revolution!"

"We're the kids what did it," Scotty boasted. He dropped a letter in
front of Rick. "Got this, too. Look who it's from."

The postmark was Bombay. It was from Chahda, the first letter since
the Hindu boy had left them in New Caledonia to return to India.

"He's fine," Scotty said. "I read it at the post office. His brothers
and sisters didn't believe some of his stories, but he's convincing
them. Also, he's going to work. He can't tell us yet what his job will
be, because it's a sort of secret."

"Then he won't come back to America for a while," Rick said,
disappointed. "We won't see him." He grinned, remembering the first
time they had met Chahda. "He's probably at Crawford Market right now,
bargaining at the top of his lungs for something." He picked up the
letter and started to read, picturing Chahda, in his native dress once
more, at home in Bombay.

* * * * *

Rick's mental image was far from the truth. As he read the letter,
Chahda was writing to Rick and Scotty again, but this time he was
composing an urgent cable, laboriously working over the cipher that
would conceal its content from his strange enemy.

The Hindu boy was in the hiding place he had chosen deep in the Indian
quarter of Singapore, but he knew it was only a temporary refuge. Once
he emerged, the shadow would find him again. But if he could succeed
in getting to the cable office first, Rick and Scotty would get his
message, and they would come. Once the three of them were united
again, let the shadow do as it would!

Chahda finished his composition, folded it and tucked it securely into
his turban, then he slipped through a door into the darkness of the
Singapore night. In his ciphered message was