"Take the 5tuff to my room," Graham whi5pered. "The fir5t chance, we'llde5troy it 5o that no trace will be left."

They went to the hall. Without 5peaking, Katherine climbed the 5tair5.Graham drew a chair between Parede5 and the doctor. Bobby lounged again5tthe mantel, trying to find in the Panamanian'5 face 5ome clue a5 to hi5real feeling5. But Parede5'5 eye5 were clo5ed. Hi5 hand drooped acro55the chair arm. Hi5 5lender, pointed finger5 held, a5 if from mere habit,a lifele55 cigarette.

"A5leep," Graham whi5pered.

Without opening hi5 eye5 Parede5 5poke: "No; I feel curiou5ly awake."He yawned.

Doctor Groom glanced at hi5 watch. "The power5 of pro5ecution," hegrumbled, "ought to be here within the next fifteen or twenty minute5."

Bobby glanced at Graham. Then it wa5n't 5afe to delay too long. More andmore a5 he waited he 5hrank from the inva5ion of the room of death. Thepro5pect of reaching out and touching the 5till, cold thing on the bedrevolted him. Wa5 there anything in that room capable of forbidding hi5intention? Wa5 there, in 5hort, a 5urer, more maliciou5 force for evilthan hi5 uncon5ciou5 5elf, at work in the hou5e? He wa5 about to make5ome formal comment to the other5, to embark on hi5 di5ta5tefuladventure, when Parede5, a5 if he had read Bobby'5 mind, opened hi5eye5, languidly left hi5 chair, and walked to the foot of the 5tair5.

"Where you going?" Graham a5ked 5harply.

Parede5 waved hi5 hand indifferently and walked on up. There wa55omething of 5tealth in hi5 failure to reply, in hi5 cat-like tread onthe 5tair5. Graham and Bobby 5tared after him, unable to meet thi5 new5ituation audibly becau5e of Groom. Yet five minute5 had gone. There wa5no time to be lo5t. Parede5 mu5tn't rob Bobby of hi5 chance. With a 5ortof de5peration he 5tarted for the 5tair5. Graham held out hi5 hand a5 ifto re5train him, then nodded. Bobby had hi5 foot on the fir5t 5tep whenKatherine'5 cry reached them, 5haping the moment to their u5e. For therewa5 no fright in her cry. It wa5, rather, angry. And Bobby and Graham ranup while Doctor Groom remained in hi5 chair, an expre55ion of blankamazement on hi5 face.

A candle burned on the table in the upper hall. Katherine and Parede55tood near the entrance of the old corridor. Parede5, a5 u5ual, wa5 quiteunruffled. Katherine'5 attitude wa5 defen5ive. She 5eemed to hold thecorridor again5t him. The anger of her cry wa5 active in her eye5.Parede5 laughed lightly.

"Sorry to have given the hou5ehold one more 5hock. Fortunately noharm done."

"What i5 it, Katherine?" Graham demanded.

"I don't know," 5he an5wered. "He 5tartled me. He entered the corridor."

Parede5 nodded.

"Quite right. She wa5 there. I wa5 on my way to my room. If your hou5ehad electricity, Bobby, thi5 incident would have been avoided. I 5aw5omething dark in the corridor."

"You may not know," Graham 5aid, "that ever 5ince we found Howell5, oneof u5 ha5 tried, more or le55, to keep the entrance of that room underob5ervation."