ere
since they left and also for any clue as to the probable leak.

"Nothing seems wrong as far as I can see," O'Reilly started to say.
"Hello, what is this?" He had discovered the cleverly concealed wires
of the dictaphone. Winckel and Schmidt joined him on the instant. They
traced the wires and soon found out the whole layout.

"Mischief is certainly afoot," exclaimed Schmidt. The other men said
nothing, but studied the proposition.

"There still is a chance," said O'Reilly In an unconvincing manner--as
if he wanted to believe something his better sense did not permit him
to do, "that this outfit was not used since Strong and the other man
had been kept from it."

A sickening thought at the same instant came to Schmidt. "O'Reilly, we
talked about the prisoners, how we had trapped them, where they
were--and all the time someone was listening. That someone heard all
we had to say and then, after we were all through, he went up to
Winckel's house and rescued them."

Winckel said nothing for many minutes; he seemed lost in thought. The
other men waited for him to speak. Finally he did.

"We are a lot of dunces. We were so sure of ourselves, we felt we were
so wise. Pride goeth before a fall and we fell. We must give up our
plans. It is up to both of you to get busy, we still have time to keep
out of trouble. There is a ray of comfort in that, at least."

"I hate to think what Knabe and the others at the embassy will think,"
was the rueful comment of Schmidt.

"Don't let that bother you. This plan has failed, we must plan
again--when again we match wits, let us hope we shall be more careful
and consequently more successful. Come, enough of post mortems, let's
get busy."

It was a busy night for all of them. There were many men who had to be
seen and who in turn had to see others. It was, so they explained to
the others, a matter of life and death that all preparations cease at
once, as there would be close and careful watch kept. There was much
telephoning and telegraphing to the friends who were in other cities.

There can be nothing but thorough admiration for the effective,
capable way these men went about calling a halt to all activities.
Like a perfect, well oiled machine which slows down and then ceases
its movements, until there is something tremendously impressive in its
inaction and silence; like a well-drilled army which retreats
magnificently and in its very retreat almost gains a victory, so much
l