tted the rival, a tight smile rendering his unlovely
features yet more disagreeable. Behind him trotted the red-faced
counselor who had accompanied him on his first visit. But matching the
rival step for step was the "Boss," while "Red" brought up the rear in a
tidy fashion.

"Swell place, ain't it?" demanded the rival, taking no notice of Val or
Jeems. "Make yourselves to home, boys; the place is yours."

Val gripped the arm of his chair. Sam, Rupert, Holmes--they were all
beyond call. It was left to him to meet this unbelievable invasion
alone. There was a stir beside him. Val glanced up to meet the slightest
of reassuring nods from the swamper. Jeems was with him.

"Whatcha gonna do with the joint, Brick?" asked Red, tossing his
cigarette down on the flagstones and grinding it to powder with his
heel.

"I dunno yet." The rival strode importantly toward the front door.

"You might tell us when you find out," Val suggested quietly.

With an exaggerated start of surprise the rival turned toward the boy.

"Oh, so it's you, kid?"

"Perhaps," Val said softly, "you had better introduce your friends.
After all, I like to know the names of my guests."

The Boss smiled sardonically and Red grinned. Only the red-faced lawyer
shuffled his feet uneasily and looked from one to another of his
companions with an expression of pleading. But the rival came directly
to the point.

"Where's that high and mighty brother of yours?" he demanded.

"Mr. Ralestone will doubtless be very glad to see you," Val evaded,
having no desire for the visitors to discover just how slender his
resources were. "Jeems, you might go and tell him that we have visitors.
Go through the Long Hall, it's nearer that way." He dug the fingernails
of his sound hand into the soft wood of the chair arm. Could Jeems
interpret that hint? Someone must remove and hide the Luck before these
men saw it.

"Right." The swamper turned on his heel and padded toward the French
windows.

"No, you don't!" the rival snarled as he moved into line between Jeems
and his objective. "When we want that guy, we'll hunt him out ourselves.
When we're good and ready!"

"If you don't wish to see my brother, just why did you come?" Val asked
feverishly. He must keep them talking there until he had time to think
of some way of getting that slender blade of steel into hiding.

"We're movin' in," Red answered casually for them all.

"How interesting. I think that the police wi