"Ah, here is something!" I breathed to the eager audience over my
shoulder. I held in my hands a heavy manila envelope, sealed, inscribed
"Ramon. (To be destroyed unopened.)"

"Evidently we were right: Ramon has the combination and is to be
executor," I commented.

I tore open the envelope and extracted from it another of the
blue-covered documents.

"It's a copy, unsigned, of that last agreement with your father," I
said, after a disappointed glance. "It's worth keeping," and I thrust it
inside my shirt.

But this particular pigeon hole proved to be a mine. In it were several
more of the same sort of envelope, all sealed, all addressed to Ramon.
One was labelled as the Last Will, one as Inventory, and one simply as
Directions. This last had a further warning that it was to be opened
only by the one addressed. I determined by hasty examination that the
first two were only what they purported to be, and turned hopefully to a
perusal of the last. It was in Spanish, and dealt at great length with
the disposition and management of Hooper's extensive interests. I append
a translation of the portion of this remarkable document, having to do
with our case.

"These are my directions," it began, "as to the matter of which we have
many times spoken together. I have many enemies, and many who think they
have cause to wish my death. They are cowards and soft and I do not
think they will ever be sure enough to do me harm. I do not fear them.
But it may be that one or some of them will find it in their souls to do