atchel, fifty thousand dollars and all, under Jimmy's
bed."

"By George!" chuckled Kendrick.

"Jimmy was able to laugh up his sleeve all the way through. I told you
he was clever. Sure enough, he found Clayton lying in wait for him at
the Jessup Grill which Stiles would have to pass. He almost laughed in
that professional con man's face when he was invited inside for a drink
and he proved an easy victim when Clayton switched the satchels on him.
Jimmy saw that Clayton had spotted the detective who was trailing along
and was on his guard. With that danger over, he knew everything was
safe; for Podmore could not afford to do anything else but keep quiet
even after he discovered that with all his slickness somebody had
beaten him out. There wasn't a shred of evidence to implicate Jimmy,
you see."

"He tells me they're watching him down at the office pretty closely,
though," said Kendrick when she paused for breath.

"That's to be expected, of course. Those two men who attacked us in
the park were private detectives in Nickleby's pay and they probably
thought Jimmy was passing something on to me and it was time to search
both of us. Nickleby and the others have kept close mouths about the
theft of the election money because they didn't want any investigation
by the regular police. I am inclined to think they planned their
election contribution for a definite purpose and could not afford any
publicity about it."

"They must be a fine bunch of crooks, that outfit!" remarked Kendrick.

"The fellow who was watching Jimmy and me at the station that night was
probably acting on his own initiative. It was the same detective who
had made such a bungle of following Jimmy in the afternoon and I guess
it nearly cost him his job. He must have been feeling pretty well
worked up at the way things turned out. If it hadn't been for Mr.
Wade's timely arrival there's no telling what might have happened.
Can--can we--sit down for a little rest?" she gasped.

Phil glanced at her quickly, apologizing for his thoughtlessness. He
had been so absorbed in her recital that he had forgotten the strain
under which she was laboring with the pain in her foot. They must have
covered a lot of ground while they talked. Five miles to Thorlakson's,
he had told her, but it might just as easily be eight or ten.

After a short rest they went on. They passed through rock cuttings
where their voices and the sound of their feet flung back h