n established that all but about fifty of seven
hundred known Italian suspects are still at large, mostly in this city.
And the rest of the Italian population is guarded from them by a squad
of police in number scarcely one-thirtieth of the number of known
criminals. No, it's our fault if the Black Hand thrives."

We had been standing on the corner of Broadway, waiting for a car.

"Now, Walter, don't forget. Meet me at the Bleecker Street station of
the subway at eleven thirty. I'm off to the university. I have some very
important experiments with phosphorescent salts that I want to finish
to-day."

"What has that to do with the case?" I asked mystified.

"Nothing," replied Craig. "I didn't say it had. At eleven thirty, don't
forget. By George, though, that Paoli must be a clever one--think of his
knowing about ricinus. I only heard of it myself recently. Well, here's
my car. Good-bye."

Craig swung aboard an Amsterdam Avenue car, leaving me to kill eight
nervous hours of my weekly day of rest from the _Star_.

They passed at length, and at precisely the appointed time Kennedy and I
met. With suppressed excitement, at least on my part, we walked over to
Vincenzo's. At night this section of the city was indeed a black enigma.
The lights in the shops where olive oil, fruit, and other things were
sold, were winking out one by one; here and there strains of music
floated out of wine-shops, and little groups lingered on corners
conversing in animated sentences. We passed Albano's on the other side
of the street, being careful not to look at it too closely, for several
men were hanging idly about--pickets, apparently, with some secret code
that would instantly have spread far and wide the news of any alarming
action.

At the corner we crossed and looked in Vincenzo's window a moment,
casting a furtive glance across the street at the dark empty store where
the police must be hiding. Then we went in and casually sauntered back
of the partition. Luigi was there already. There were several customers
still in the store, however, and therefore we had to sit in silence
while Vincenzo quickly finished a prescription and waited on the last
one.

At last the doors were locked and the lights lowered, all except those
in the windows which were to serve as signals.

"Ten minutes to twelve," said Kennedy, placing the oblong box on the
table. "Gennaro will be going in soon. Let us try this machine now and
see if it works. If the