The Huttig news., 1915-07-10
CHAPTER XVII.

l The professor reused himself from what had apparently been a very 1 gloomy reverie.
 We'll" he announced, '1 must go home. Ii has been very kind of you. MT. Quest, to keep me here for so long"
 l Quest glanced at the clock
 Don't hurry, MT Ashleigh," he aid We may get some news at any moment. French has a dozen men | put on the search and he has prom ised to ring me up immediately he hears anything" The professor sighed. l "A man." he declared, "who for twenty years can deceive his master IS utterly and completely as Craig has done me, who is capable of such 1iabolical outrages, and who, when capture stares him in the face, is 1 capable of an escape such as he made today, is outside the laws of prob ability. Personally, do not believe hat I shall ever again see the face of my servant, any more than that l you, Quest, will entirely solve the mystery of these murders and the theft of the Rheinheldt jewels. What can we do against men who have re. volving staircases and trolley-loads of river pirates waiting for them You may be a scientific criminologist, Quest, but that fellow Craig is a scientific criminal, If ever there was one"
 Quest crossed the room towards his cigar cabinet, and opened it. His little start was apparent to both of them Lenora laid down the bag which she had just lifted up. The professor leaned forward in his chair.
 What is it, Quest?' he demanded
 Quest stretched out his hand ant picked up from the top of the cigar a small black box! He laid it on tn, table
 Unless I am very much mistaken, he said, 'it is another communication from our mysterious friend"
 'Tmpossible," the professor ex claimed hoarsely.
 How can he have been here?" Le nora cried
 Quest removed the lid from the box and drew out a circular card Around the outside edge was a very clever pen and ink sketch of a life buoy, and inside the margin were several sentences of clear handwrit- ing In the middle was the sigma | fi1r pja 1cf ,t read the message aloud:
 In the great scheme of things, the Supreme Ruler of the universe dl- vided an inheritance amongst his children. To one he gave power, to another strength, to another beauty, but to his favorite he gave cunning
 They all looked at one another.
 What does it mean?" Lenora gasped
 "A lifebuoy!" the professor mur mured.
 They both stared at Quest, who re mained silent chewing hard at the end of his ciger.
 Every message" he said. speaking half to himself, has had some sig nificance. What does this mean-s lifebuoy?'
 He was silent for a moment Then he turned suddenly to the professor
 What did you call those men in the motortruck, professor-river pirates And lifebuoy! Wait"
 He crossed the room towards his desk and returned with list in his hand. He ran his finger down it. stopped and glanced at the date.
 "The Durham." he muttered, Cargo cotton. destination Southampton, sails at high tide or the 18th. Lenora. Is that calendar right?'
 ''Tt's the 16th. MT. Quest" she an swered
 Quest crossed the room to the tele 1 phone.
 T want number one. central" he said Thank yo%! Put me through to MT. Frenchs office Hello ! French! I've got an idea Can you come round here at once and bring an automobile? I want to get down to the docks-not where the passen ger steamers start from-lower down =. Goodi We'll wait"
 Quest hung up the receiver
 See here, professor he continued that fellow wouldn't dare to send this message if he weren't pretty sure of getting of. He's made all his plans beforehand. hut it's my belle We shall just get our hands upon him after al''
 Presently the heard the automobll stop outside and French appeared Anything doing?" he asked.
 Quest showed him the card and the sailing list.
 1 The inspector glanced at the clock