“I do, sir.”

The Honorable Secretary, only half satisfied, continued: 

“Your credit is unlimited—­there’ll be no question of that.  If you need to buy up a whole South American government—­buy it!  By the way, he will make for South America, will he not?”

“Probably—­yes, sir.  Chile or the Argentine—­there’s no extradition treaty there.”

“But even then,” broke in the Secretary with a nervous frown—­“there are ways—­other ways?”

“Oh, yes.”  Frawley, picking up a paper-cutter, stood by the mantel tapping his palm.  “Oh, yes—­there are other ways!  So it’s Bucky—­well, I warned him!”

“Now, Inspector, to settle the matter,” interrupted the Secretary, anxious to return to his routine, “when can you go on the case?”

“If the papers are ready, sir—­”

“They are—­everything.  The Home Office has been cabled.  To-morrow every British official throughout the world will be notified to render you assistance and honor your drafts.”

Inspector Frawley heard with approval and consulted his watch.

“There’s an express for New York leaves at noon,” he said reflectively—­then, with a glance at the clock, “thirty-five minutes; I can make that, sir.”

“Good, very good.”

“If I might suggest, sir—­if the Inspector who has had the case in hand could go a short distance with me?”

“Inspector Keech shall join you at the station.”

“Thank you, sir.  Is there anything further?”

The Secretary shook his head, and springing up, held out his hand enthusiastically.

“Good luck to you, Inspector—­you have a big thing ahead of you, a very big thing.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“By the way—­you’re not married?”

“No, sir.”

“This is pretty short notice.  How long have you been on this other case?”

“A trifle over six months, sir.”

“Don’t you want a couple of days to rest up?  I can let you have that very easily.”

“It really makes no difference—­I think I’ll leave to-day, sir.”

“Oh, a moment more, Inspector—­”

Frawley halted.

“How long do you think this ought to take you?”

Frawley considered, and answered carefully: 

“It’ll be long, I think.  You see, there are several circumstances that are unusual about this case.”

“How so?”

“Well, Buck is clever—­there’s no gainsaying that—­quite at the top of the profession.  Then, he’s expecting me.”

“You?”

“They’re a queer lot,” Frawley explained with a touch of pride.  “Crooks are full of little vanities.  You see, Bucky knows I’ve never dropped a trail, and I think it’s rather gotten on his nerves.  I think he wasn’t satisfied until he dared me.  He’s very odd—­very odd indeed.  It’s a little personal.  I doubt, sir, if I bring him back alive.”

“Inspector Frawley,” said the new Secretary, “I hope I have sufficiently impressed upon you the importance of your mission.”