The time dragged horribly, but at last the hour had passed, and Mary wrapped up the precious wax cylinders and hurried downstairs.
Bob was pacing up and down anxiously.
"Shepard has eluded me. I was afraid to leave you, and he took an auto, and disappeared over toward the East Side. I have telephoned Captain Sawyer to have a phonograph ready for us. Come, we'll get over to the station at once. I hope your records give us the clue. If they don't, I'm afraid the trail is lost."
They hurried to the station house. In the private office of the Captain they found that officer waiting with eagerness.
"What's it all about, Bob?" he cried. "Why this phonograph?"
"It will explain itself, Captain," answered 4434. "Let's fix these records in the regular way, and then we will run them in order."
They did so in absolute silence. The Captain listened, first in bewilderment, then in great excitement.
"Great snakes! Where did you get those? That is a conversation between a bunch of traffickers. Listen, they are buying and selling, making reports and laying out their work for the night."
"Sssh!" cautioned Bob. "There's something important we want to get."
Suddenly Mary gripped his hand.