“And even if he were alive and unharmed, it would not do to let him go free. It would be necessary to destroy him.”
Novesky spoke.
“The shedding of innocent blood is always deplorable,” he said; “but it cannot be helped sometimes, and we should let nothing stand between us and the advancement of our noble cause.”
“Right!” flashed Lenoir.
“How did you happen to capture the true spy?” asked Montparnasse.
“He returned to the Red Flag with an officer,” explained Verlain. “Charron was there and saw him. He recognized the spy instantly, and we followed him. When he had left the police and was making his way home, we came upon him where it was dark, and we soon had him down. Then it was not difficult to call a cab, and make the driver believe we were taking a drunken comrade home. This is Grand Prix night, you know, and the whole city is carousing.”
“Grand Prix night?” thought Frank Merriwell. “And is it possible all these things have happened in one night? Why, it seems as if days must have passed since we first saw Mademoiselle Mystere in front of the Café de la Paix.”
The masked girl drew closer to the boy.
“There is no hope for us,” she whispered. “Now they will give us no opportunity to escape.”
“We must fight.”