“If that gives way, the whole thing goes over,” cried Archey.  “I’ll throw him the hammer.”

Even as he spoke the ring suddenly came out of the bow; and thrown off his balance by his own effort, Paul went over the side of the boat and in the same moment had disappeared from view.

“Gone ...” gasped Hutchins.  “And now that’s going after him....”

The boat was lurching forward—­unsteadily—­unevenly—­

“Something chained to the bottom, all right,” thought Archey, all eyes to see, the hammer still in his hand.  As they watched, the boat tipped forward—­lurched—­vanished—­followed quickly by two cylindrical objects which, in the momentary glimpse they caught of them, had the appearance of steel barrels.

The two on the bridge were still looking at each other, when Archey thought to glance at the clock in his car.

It was on the stroke of ten.

“That may go off yet if the thing holds together,” shouted Archey.  “It was built good and strong....”

They stood there for a minute looking down into the darkness and were just on the point of turning back to the car when an explosion arose from the racing waters far below the dam....

Presently the wind, blowing up stream, drenched their faces with spray....  Splinters of rock and sand began to fall....

CHAPTER XXXVI

The next morning ushered in one of those days in June which make the spirit rejoice.

When Mary left Helen’s, she thought she had never known the sky so blue, the world so fair, the air so full of the breath of life, the song of birds, the scent of flowers.

Wally was definitely out of danger and Helen was nursing him back to strength like a ministering angel, every touch a caress, every glance a look of love.

“Now if Burdon will only leave her alone,” thought Mary as she turned the car toward the factory.

She needn’t have worried.

Before she had time to look at her mail, Joe announced that the two accountants were waiting to see her.

“They’ve been hanging around for the last half hour,” he confidentially added.  “I guess they want to catch a train or something.”

“All right, Joe,” she nodded.  “Show them in.”

They entered, and for the first time since she had known them, Mary thought she saw a trace of excitement in their manner—­such, for instance, as you might expect to see in two learned astronomers who had seen Sirius the dog-star rushing over the heavens in pursuit of the Big Bear—­or the Virgin seating herself in Cassiopeia’s Chair.

“We finished our report last night,” said the elder, handing her a copy.  “As you will see, we have discovered a very serious situation in the treasurer’s department.”

It struck Mary later that she showed no surprise.  Indeed, more than once in the last few days, when noticing Burdon’s nervous recklessness, she had found herself connecting it with the auditors’ work upon the books.