for
Stryker, with all the prescience of a well-trained servant, had already
decided that Peter belonged to a class accustomed to being waited on.
Going to the door he blew one short blast on a police whistle, like
Peter's, which he brought forth from his pocket.

"That will bring him, sir," he said. "If you'll go out on the portico,
he'll join you in a moment."

Peter obeyed. The door was closed and fastened behind him and almost
before he had taken his lungs full of the clean night air (for the house
had been hot and stuffy), a shadow came slouching across the lawn in the
moonlight. Peter joined the man at once and they walked around the
house, while Peter questioned him as to the number of men and their
disposition about the place. There were six, he found, including Wells,
with six more to sleep in the stable, which was also used as a
guardhouse. Peter made the rounds of the sentries. None of them seemed
to be taking the matter any too seriously and one at least was sound
asleep beneath some bushes. Peter foresaw difficulties. Under the
leadership of Shad Wells the strategic points were not covered, and, had
he wished, he could have found his way, by using the cover of shadow and
shrubbery, to the portico without being observed. He pointed this out to
Wells who, from a supercilious attitude, changed to one of defiance.

"You seem to think you know a lot, Mister?" he said. "I'd like to see ye
try it."

Peter laughed.

"Very well. Take your posts and keep strict watch, but don't move. If I
don't walk across the lawn from the house in half an hour I'll give you
ten dollars. In return you can take a shot if you see me."

He thought the men needed the object lesson. Peter was an excellent
"point." He disappeared into the woods behind him and making his way
cautiously out, found a road, doubling to the other side of the garage
along which he went on his hands and knees and crawling from shrub to
shrub in the shadows reached the portico without detection. Here he
lighted a fag and quietly strolled down to the spot where he had left
Shad Wells, to whom he offered a cigarette by way of consolation. Wells
took it grudgingly. But he took it, which was one point gained.

"Right smart, aren't ye?" said Shad.

"No," said Peter coolly. "Anybody could have done it,--in three ways.
The other two ways are through the pine grove to the left and from the
big sycamore by the stream."

"And how do you know all that?"

"I was