eturn of
the men.

Having established to his satisfaction that he was safe, which was not
until he perceived a light on the motor boat, which lay not far from
the hut, he proceeded to light up the lantern the men had left behind.

Anxious not to lose any time on his risky task, he began stuffing papers
and plans into his pockets at once. The models, or most of them, he
decided he would have to convey to the boat in his arms.

He had hardly completed the task of stowing the papers in his pockets,
when he was startled at hearing footsteps coming toward the hut. Hastily
he extinguished the light, uttering an inward prayer that it had not
been seen. Luckily for himself he had taken the precaution of closing
the door as soon as he had the lantern lighted.

Just before extinguishing the lamp, he had gazed about the place for
some spot of concealment. But the hut, as has been said, was a crude
affair, and no closets or cupboards presented a chance of hiding. The
only thing that Rob could think of to do was to slip under the table
and trust to a miracle that he would not be discovered. Hardly had he
carried out his intention when the door opened and two men entered.

They were the red-headed man and the pallid-faced individual, who
appeared to act as assistants to Berghoff. At any rate, judging by their
accents, they were foreigners.

Rob had placed the lantern on the table in a position as much resembling
that in which the men had left it as he could. He heard a match
scratched and then the sputter of the flame.

"Don't see why Berghoff sent us back to get that stuff," grumbled one of
the men angrily; "it's as safe here as it would be anywhere."

"Well, as we're getting good pay fer this job, we might as well obey
orders," was the reply.

"Gee whillakers!" came a sudden exclamation from the man who had
attempted to light the lantern.

"What's up?" asked the other.

"Why, the plagued thing is red hot!"

"Red hot?" exclaimed his companion in tones of amazement. "How can that
be when it's a good half hour since we put it out?"

"Dunno, but it burned my fingers, all right."

"Say, Mike, do you think anyone has been here since we left?"

"Who could have been here? And yet, come to think of it, it's blamed
queer. Tell you what we'll do."

"What?"

"Search this place. It won't take long."

"Good for you," rejoined the other, while Rob quaked in his place of
concealment.

"There ain't many nooks or crannies, s