smoor station,

"That's all," he said. "Can't I go home to bed now, superintendent?"

But the bearded stranger intervened.

"One of your clever young officers, I presume," he said to Finucane.

"I wish to God he were, Sir Gregory," replied the superintendent.

"A clever, and, I gather, somewhat high-handed amateur. The young lady,
I hope, is safe."

"She is, Sir Gregory--thanks entirely to the extraordinary rapidity of
Mr. Richard Bellamy's intuition and action," said Finucane, speaking
with unruffled respect, which yet did not hide, nor was intended to
hide, a note of reproof. "Without him the Department would have been too
late for the show. As it is, we are acting effectively--on information
supplied by Mr. Bellamy."

Now Dick stood in no awe of potentates, and he liked his superintendent.

"It was my luck to be on the spot," he said. "There's nothing more in
it."

"Pardon me if I differ from you, Mr. Bellamy," said Sir Gregory. "There
is this more in it: if the police had been given your opportunities they
would not have limited their action to the rescue of this unfortunate
young lady, but would have devoted themselves also to the recovery of
what is, for the country--I might almost say for the world--of vastly
greater importance. You are possibly aware that a sample of a new drug
of great potentiality for good and ill was the object of the outrage
which led to the abduction."

The great man's beard and the great man's manner annoyed Dick Bellamy,
stimulating him even through his shroud of somnolence.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned; then looked up at Sir Gregory.

"I don't know who you are, my good man," he said, "nor why you come
barging into this. What more d'you want? Your Napoleon of crime is in
the oubliette, two of his dastard accomplices are in clink at Todsmoor,
three more are being tracked to their doom in Bayswater, two are
dead----"

Here Dick produced from inner pockets a small white packet and an
envelope.

"And these," he concluded, "are the dope and the book-o'-the-words."

Both Finucane and Sir Gregory started forward as if to take possession,
but Dick drew back.

"No," he said, "I didn't go looting for my country's sake, nor the
world's. I just happened to pick up two little things belonging to a
friend of mine." And, turning, he put the Ambrotox and the formula into
Caldegard's hand, smiling his crooked smile.

"That's the lot," he murmured, and laid his head on his arms, fold