th of them," decided Craig quickly.

Before Haynes could say anything more, he strode into the hotel parlor.
Haynes and I followed a short distance behind.

There was an air of tense, suppressed excitement in the group, but of
all of us, I felt that Madame Dupres was the coolest.

"I see you've lost no time in getting busy," nodded Craig to Ames.

"No," he replied easily. "This is certainly a very interesting situation
which madame here has just outlined to me."

Haynes came up just in time to catch the last words.

"I say, Ames," he almost roared, "you may be a clever lawyer, but you
must remember that you are also expected to be a gentleman. There are
limits to questioning a woman when she has not the advantage of having a
friend to advise her."

For a moment I thought there was going to be a fight, but Kennedy moved
unobtrusively between the two men. As for Madame Dupres, I felt that
really she was a match for both of them.

Instead of getting mad, however, Ames merely laughed.

"Why, Haynes," he said quietly, "I don't think you ought to complain. I
understand that you, now representing Delaney's Texas syndicate, have
already signed the final contract for the deal with those whom Madame
Dupres represents and have received a certified check from them as a
first payment to bind the bargain."

Haynes turned almost livid, then recovering himself, glanced at Madame
Dupres.

"Why, Harris, I didn't think there was any secrecy about it now," she
said, seeing the change in him. "If there is, I'm sorry."

"There isn't," replied Haynes, quickly recovering his composure. "Only I
just didn't like to see a lawyer, an outsider, quizzing you, that's
all."

Jealousy was stamped in every line of Haynes' face. Ames said nothing,
but it was impossible to escape the look of gratification which he shot
at Kennedy as he brought out the startling new development.

Madame Dupres was clever enough to see that no good could come of
prolonging an interview for which now there was an excuse to break up.

"Take me in to lunch, Harris," she said, slipping her arm familiarly
into his. "Good-morning, gentlemen."

Somehow I felt that she would have liked to add, "And if you see the
Baroness, tell her I have beaten her to it."

Ames watched them depart with an air of cynical satisfaction, paused a
moment, then in turn excused himself from us.

What did it mean? What was behind all this intrigue. Was it merely to
get this cattle c