He paid his one grand and departed, first to make certain necessary
arrangements for the untimely end of one Pokey Barnard, squealer,
louse, et cetera, et cetera, and then to spread the glad news through
the underworld of Collins' invention.

That was Blinky's big mistake, as was shown a few days later. Not many
had taken seriously the account of the photographer's experiments, but
there was one who had, as was evident. A bearded man, whose eyes
stared somewhat wildly from beneath a shock of frowzy hair, entered
the Collins work-room and locked the door behind him. His English was
imperfect, but the heavy automatic in his hand could not be
misunderstood. He forced the trembling inventor to give a
demonstration, and the visitor's face showed every evidence of
delight.

"The cur-rent," he demanded with careful words, "the electreek
cur-rent, you shall do also. Yes?"

Again the automatic brought quick assent, and again the visitor showed
his complete satisfaction. Showed it by slugging the inventor quietly
and efficiently and packing the apparatus in the big suitcase he had
brought.

Blinky Collins had been fond of that machine. He had found a form of
television with uncounted possibilities, and it had been for him the
perfect instrument of a blackmailing Peeping Tom; he had learned the
secret of directed wireless transmission of power and had seen it as a
means for annoying his enemies. Yet Blinky Collins--the late Blinky
Collins--offered no least objection, when the bearded man walked off
with the machine. His body, sprawled awkwardly in the corner, was
quite dead....

* * * * *

And now, some two months later, in his Washington office, the Chief of
the United States Secret Service pushed a paper across his desk to a
waiting man and leaned back in his chair.

"What would you make of that, Del?" he asked.

Robert Delamater reached leisurely for the paper. He regarded it with
sleepy, half-closed eyes.

There was a crude drawing of an eye at the top. Below was printed--not
written--a message in careful, precise letters: "Take warning. The Eye
of Allah is upon you. You shall instructions receive from time to
time. Follow them. Obey."

Delamater laughed. "Why ask me what I think of a nut letter like that.
You've had plenty of them just as crazy."

"This didn't come to me," said the Chief; "it was addressed to the
President of the United States."

"Well, there will be others, an