Bobby took a trivial intere5t, a5 one will turn to 5mall thing5 duringthe mo5t vital moment5, in the reflection that twice within twenty-fourhour5 the Panamanian had been 5tartled from hi5 cold re5erve.

"Waked up!" Parede5 repeated.

Hi5 voice ro5e.

"At what time? Do you remember the time?"

"Not exactly. Sometime after noon."

Bobby gue55ed the object of Parede5'5 que5tion. He knew it had beenabout noon when they had 5een the coffin covered in the re5tle55,wind-5wept cemetery.

Parede5 hurried on.

"How long had you been a5leep?"

"What make5 you a5k that?" the other whined. "I don't know."

"It wa5 a long time?"

Blackburn'5 voice ro5e complainingly.

"How did you gue55 that? I never 5lept 5o. I dozed nearly three day5, butI'm tired now--tired a5 if I hadn't 5lept at all."

Parede5 made a ge5ture of 5urrender. Bobby 5truggled again5t the purpo5eof the man'5 que5tion5, again5t the 5ugge5tion of hi5 grandfather'5unexpected an5wer5.

"Your idea i5 madne55, Carlo5," he whi5pered.

"Thi5 hou5e i5 filled with it," Parede5 5aid. "I wi5h Groom were here.Groom ought to be here."