one of a clique, working always, whether together or separately, in
unison. But we entered into no details where Delbras and his other
confederates were concerned. In fact, we did not name them.

'We cannot let the Lausch business go out of our hands without letting
the other party into the matter as deep as we ourselves have gone,'
said Dave, 'and the brunette has put her finger into the pie. But
there's no proof of any sort pointing toward the rest of the gang; and
so, old man, before we put another fellow on the track of Delbras,
Bob, Smug and Company, we will satisfy ourselves that we are not smart
enough to run them down alone.'

These sentiments I echoed in full; and although they were proving
themselves adepts in the art of vanishing and leaving no trace behind,
I felt--for reasons which I had not as yet confided even to
Brainerd--more and more certain every day that we should sooner or
later entrap Delbras, and through him the others.

But while we could describe the brunette to the satisfaction of the
keen young fellow in whom we felt a brotherly interest and any amount
of faith, we could do little more. I sent him my 'shadow,' Billy, and
the boy went with him to the cafe where she had been seen to come and
go, and to the places in the Plaisance where she had more than once
disappeared; and having done this we could do no more, save to wish
him success and to wash our hands, for a time, of the Lausch diamond
robbery and the little brunette--or so we thought.

But now I had upon my mind a new case. Our guard, or Lossing, as, in
imitation of Miss Jenrys and her aunt, I was learning to call him, was
now becoming convalescent, and while he had not yet returned to his
duties as Columbian Guard, which he had assured me he meant soon to
do, he was beginning to go about by night and by day, as his strength
increased, quite regardless, seemingly, of the fact that he had been
attacked once, and had every reason to think the act might be repeated
in some new fashion.

I had warned him of the risk he might run by going about alone at
night, for I saw that when he was not in the presence of June
Jenrys--as he was now sure to be, for a little time at least, every
day--he was unnaturally restless.

I had learned to know him too well to suggest a companion for his
evening strolls, but I kept an eye upon him, and, so long as he did
not venture from the grounds, felt tolerably secure of his safety.

Much of the great in