connaissance in the vicinity
of the suspected houses.

But whatever his success or lack of it, my morning's programme was
laid out. I should 'let no grass grow beneath my feet' until I had
taken out warrants of arrest for the 'gang.'

Of charges against them there were enough and to spare; but to make
my final success more sure, it would be best, I knew, not to alarm
them to the extent of letting them see that their deepest and
wickedest game was known. For this purpose it would be well, I knew,
to take them first upon separate charges.

Greenback Bob, I decided, should be arrested upon the charge of
counterfeiting, with no specified dates or names. Delbras we would
charge with an attempt to pass counterfeit money, or with the attempt
to swindle Farmer Camp. Smug should figure as a confidence man. And
the brunette, whether appearing as man or woman, should be accused of
masquerading. And to complete the list, I would also procure a warrant
which should charge Monsieur Voisin with an assault upon Sir Carroll
Rae.

Smiling at the thought of the surprise this last name would occasion,
I closed my door and was turning the key in the lock when Brainerd
came hastily up the stairs and toward me.

'Masters,' he said hurriedly, 'you're wanted at once. Come along!' And
turning, he ran back down the stairs, and awaited me at the foot.

'What's up?' I asked, when I had reached his side.

'Dead man,' was his laconic answer as he caught my arm and hurried me
along. 'Found this morning. I want you to take a look at him.'

'Why must I look at him?' I persisted.

'See if you know him, of course!' and to prevent any further
inquisitiveness on my part he began to tell me how the body had been
found at early dawn by two 'honest and early-rising Columbian Guards,'
lying in the mouth of an alley upon Stony Island Avenue.

'Shot?' I ventured.

'Not much! Strangled!' He glanced over his shoulder and lowered his
voice. 'And the queer thing is, Murphy and I were through that same
alley, from end to end, after midnight. He was not there then. There
were four of us within a block of that place all night. Neither he nor
his assailants could have passed by on the street.'

'Ergo?' I queried.

'Ergo, being out all night, and so near, Murphy and I were the first
persons the guards met after finding the body. So, while one of them
ran to the station we went to the alley, where the other stood on
guard. The body lay upon ground where as