It was merely a coincidence that Bateato should drag Helen back into the room just as Gladwin had gone on record with the declaration, “There are no women here,” but it was a sufficiently dramatic coincidence to jar from Officer No. 666 the exclamation:
“Where the divil are they all springin’ from?”
Bateato had come up with Helen as she was descending the stoop, had seized her by the wrist and almost swung her off her feet as he swept her back into the house and rounded her up before the three men, dumb with fright and barely able to stand. Still gripping her wrist, Bateato let go the Maxim volley:
“You tief! She try get away, but Bateato catch fast––she tief––I see steal all pictures––she”–––
“Bateato, you idiot!” his master hurled at him with a menacing gesture that caused the little Jap to drop the girl’s hand and jump back.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay at the hotel?” continued Gladwin, fiercely, for the moment ignoring both Phelan and the thief.
“Yes, but I ’fraid––much late you no come. Bateato come back see girl steal all pictures!”
The little Jap had fallen into Phelan’s state of blind bewilderment.
“Shut up!” his master snapped him up, walking up to him with an eat-’em-alive expression. “And now listen––I don’t want you to say anything more, understand? Not a word to anybody about anything. Not a syllable!”