Then he stepped swiftly through the hall; a moment later they heard him throw up one of the windows overlooking the street, and a whistle shrilled through the night.

“Paulson is on duty,” said the investigator, returning.  “He’ll be here in a jiffy.”

Sure enough, they soon heard heavy steps upon the stairs; and then Paulson and a fellow patrolman appeared in the doorway.  Astonished, the policeman gazed at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded to them smilingly, then they turned their gaze upon Pendleton, who was speaking soothing words to the white-faced girl, who, now that the danger was over, clung to him tremblingly.  But when their eyes centered upon the manacled stranger who was then dazedly struggling to a sitting position, Paulson asked: 

“Who is this?”

“This,” answered Ashton-Kirk, “is M. Sagon, a fellow lodger of Antonio Spatola, formerly a very close friend of the late Mr. Hume, and once a resident of Bayonne, in France.”

CHAPTER XXV

APPROACHING THE FINISH

Pendleton spent the night at Ashton-Kirk’s; and after breakfast he wandered into the library, a newspaper in his hand and an inquiring look on his face.

The investigator was seated in his usual big chair, buried to the knees in newspapers, and making vigorous inroads upon the Greek tobacco.  Fuller was just leaving the room as Pendleton entered, and nodding toward the disappearing form, Ashton-Kirk said: 

“There is some rather interesting news.  I have had Locke, as you perhaps know, under observation for some time.  Last night he took the train at Cordova, and Burgess followed him.  When he reached the city, he went directly to Christie Place and was seen lurking about in the shadows.”

“Humph,” said Pendleton, “what time was this?”

“Perhaps about eleven o’clock.  Burgess, so Fuller tells me, never lost sight of him.  He acted in a queerly hesitating sort of way; finally, however, he seemed to form a resolution and went to the door of the Marx house.  He was about to pull the bell, then paused and tried the door instead.  It was evidently not locked.  He seemed both surprised and pleased at this; he lost no time, however, but went in at once.”

Pendleton sat down.

“What do you suppose all this meant?” he asked.

“Well, we can’t be too sure,” replied Ashton Kirk, “but I think it probable that he, also, saw the news of the withdrawal of the police in the papers.  Perhaps he came to Christie Place with the intention of informing Sagon of the opportunity that then presented itself.  Or it might be that he had hopes of somehow over-reaching his companion in crime.”

“His lurking about would seem to point rather in that direction,” said Pendleton.

“And his preferring to enter the lodging house without ringing also indicates some such idea.  As I see it, he hoped to gain the roof unobserved.  He knew the house and the habits of the people quite well.  No doubt he had a plan, and a good one.  He’s a thinker, is Mr. Locke.”