"You must learn from other lips."

"Who will tell me?"

"If you are to know at all, you must learn my fears from the
lips of my enemies."

"How shall I do that?"

"Are you willing to serve me?"

The detective was silent. He was certainly charmed and lured
by this beautiful child of the shore, but could he afford to
undertake to be the champion of a barefooted girl, though she
did own a strangely beautiful face?

"If you serve me I will serve you."

"What can you do for me?"

The girl's eyes gleamed as she answered:

"Let me but know that these men are my foes, that I owe them
no gratitude, and I can give you information for which the
government would pay thousands! and even to-night in serving
me you would also serve yourself."

"Will you tell me how?"

"One of the bosses is to visit the shore to-night."