't need any help, do you?"--to the head of the
secret service.

"Certainly not," replied the famous detective, swelling visibly. "I have
all the data--already I am planning my campaign."

"Then I should like to have a talk with Pop-what's-his-name. I think I
can slip him a few valuable pointers. You go right along and nail your
man and we'll sit here in the shade of the sheltering palm and tell each
other our troubles."

"I must return to the palace quite soon," murmured Popova, gazing at
the stranger uneasily.

"Call a carriage for the professor," spoke up Mr. Pike briskly, to the
manager. "I know his time is valuable, so we'll get down to business
immediately, if not sooner."

The manager knew a millionaire's voice when he heard it, so he hurried
away. The impatient Koldo said that he would communicate directly with
the palace as soon as he had effected the capture, and started for the
front door. Then, remembering himself, he went out the back way.

The old tutor, finding himself alone with Mr. Pike, was not permitted to
relapse into embarrassment.

"In the first place, I want you to know who and what I am," said Mr.
Pike. "Come into my suite and I'll show you something. Then you'll see
that you're not wasting your time on a light-weight."

He led the way to a large parlor ornately done in red, and pulled out
from a leather trunk a passport issued by the Department of State of the
United States of America. It was a huge parchment, with pictorial
embellishments, heavy Gothic type and a seal about the size of a pie.
Mr. Pike's physical peculiarities were enumerated and there was a direct
request that the bearer be shown every courtesy and attention due a
citizen of the great republic. Popova looked it over and was impressed.

"It isn't everybody that gets those," said Mr. Pike, as he put the
document carefully back into the trunk and covered it with shirts. "Have
a red chair. Take off your hat--ah, I remember, you leave that on, don't
you?"

The old gentleman seated himself, somewhat reassured by the cheery
manner of his host, who sat in front of him and beamed.

Mr. Pike, supposed to be given to vapory and aimless conversation,
really was a general. Already we have learned that he based his
every-day conduct on a groundwork of safe principles. He had certain
private theories, which had stood the test, and when following these
theories he proceeded with bustling confidence. One of his theories was
that ev