conference with Mr. Charkian, confidential clerk to the Administration.
I'm sorry I didn't hear all that was said at your conference, for that
might have made it easier to guess what Major Grim would do."

"Don't play with us like a cat playing with a mouse!" snarled somebody.
"Tell us what you want. If you were Major Grim you'd have handed us
over to those officers who passed just now. You're just as much
irregular as we are. Hurry up and make your bargain, or the guard may
come and arrest us all!"

"Yes, hurry up!" complained the other man. "I don't want to be caught
here; and as for those papers you have taken, if we are caught I shall
say you stole them from the office--you and Yussuf Dakmar, and that I
followed you to recover them, and you both attacked me!"

"Very well," said Grim's voice pleasantly. "I'll let you go. I think
you're dangerous. You'd better be quick, because I think I hear the
guard coming!"

"Give me back the papers, then!"

"Aha! Will you wait and discuss them with the guard, or go at once?"

The Armenian clerk didn't answer, but got up and slunk away.

"Why did you let that fool go?" demanded Yussuf Dakmar. "Now he will
awaken some officer and start hue and cry with a story that we robbed
him. Listen! There comes the guard! We had better both run!"

"Not so fast!" Grim answered.