y act. They've had orders to shut down tight; that's why I
can't get a word. There isn't a man in the office beside myself.
There's somebody down in the business office who's taking care of
the switchboard. I can't go out because I may miss a call.

"Step on it! Scurry around and see what it is. And keep in touch.
Call up every few minutes."

Jimmy hung up the receiver and stood at the instrument in thought,
holding the receiver in its hook as though he would get
inspiration from the lifeless instrument. He had learned to have a
profound respect for Hite's tips. Hunch or flash, whatever it was,
it was undoubtedly something. He started swiftly for the hotel in
Lentone, where many of the newspaper representatives congregated.
If anyone among them knew of something to justify Hite's
excitement, he would show it in some way. There would be a
tension, a restlessness that would give the secret away.

The first look at the large group of men and women lolling on the
wide verandah of the hotel convinced Jimmy that none of these knew
of anything big breaking. News sleuths, do not act the way these
did with something big. They are up and moving.

He went back to the police station. There was nothing new there.
He called up Justice Higginbotham's camp and spoke to McGuire.
There was nothing there. He called up Professor Brierly.

Jack, who answered the phone, assured him that everything was
peaceful there also.

He called up the office again. This time he was connected directly
with the city room. When he identified himself his eardrums were
almost shattered by the howl that came over the wire:

"Flynn was murdered an hour ago!" Hite yelled.

Jimmy's body stiffened as if a live galvanic battery had been
applied to it. Flynn, murdered? With guards near by, men who had
been warned and ordered--Jimmy, trained as he was to disaster and
tragedy in all its forms, somehow could not accept this. He said
inanely:

"Flynn, murdered? Did you say Flynn, chief? Why he--"

"What the hell is the matter with you, are you drunk? Yes," the
word came in a hiss. "I said Flynn, William Flynn, the member of
your Tontine group we were warned to guard."

"But wasn't he guarded?"

"Yes, he was guarded. Two of his guards were in his house with
him. Three were outside." Jimmy had been leaning weakly against
the instrument as if for support. Now he came out of it. He was
the alert newspaper man.

"How about the guards, chief? How did it hap