noticed
that the car was a Pierce-Arrow limousine--a car not common, even in
Washington--and rushed out to get its number, but the license plates
were so smeared with oil and dust that the numbers could not be read by
the light of the tail lamp. Glancing at the compass in his hand he saw
that the delicate needle was now pointing steadily at the fleeing car,
and all doubts as to the power of the instrument were dispelled. He
rejoined his men, informed them that DuQuesne had eluded them, and took
one of them up the hill to a nearby garage. There he engaged a fast car
and set out in pursuit, choosing the path for the chauffeur by means of
the compass. His search ended at the residence of Brookings, the General
Manager of the great World Steel Corporation. Here he dismissed the car
and watched the house while his assistant went to bring out the fast
motorcycle used by Prescott when high speed was desirable.

After four hours a small car bearing the license number of a distant
state--which was found, by subsequent telegraphing, to be unknown to the
authorities of that state--drove under the porte-cochere, and the hidden
watcher saw DuQuesne, without the papers, step into it. Knowing now what
to expect, Prescott drove his racing motorcycle at full speed out to the
Park Road Bridge and concealed himself beneath the structure, in a
position commanding a view of the concrete abutment through which the
scientist must have come. Soon he heard a car slow down overhead, heard
a few rapid footfalls, and saw the dark form of a large man outlined
against the gray face of the abutment. He saw the man lift his hand high
above his head, and saw a black rectangle appear in the gray, engulf the
man, and disappear. After a few minutes he approached the abutment and
searched its face with the help of his flash-light. He finally succeeded
in tracing the almost imperceptible crack which outlined the door, and
the concealed button which DuQuesne had pressed to open it. He did not
press the button, as it might be connected to an alarm. Deep in thought,
he mounted his motorcycle and made his way to his home to get a few
hours of sleep before reporting to Crane whom he was scheduled to see at
breakfast next morning.

* * * * *

Both men were waiting for him when he appeared, and he noticed with
pleasure that Shiro, with a heavily-bandaged head, was insisting that he
was perfectly able to wait on the table instead o