“Well, how does it feel to be a federal agent, even though you’re only a provisional one?” his uncle asked.
“I’m not quite used to it,” replied Bob, taking out the small leather case and extracting the card and badge which it contained.
He turned the badge over carefully in his fingers. His name was engraved on the back and behind this small emblem stood the mighty law enforcement machinery of Uncle Sam. Bob thrilled even though he was as yet a small and comparatively unimportant part of that great system, which was rapidly building up a worldwide reputation for “getting its man.”
Merritt Hughes settled back in the cushions.
“This is likely to be a rather long-drawn out case,” he said, “and from the way it’s started, it may be extremely dangerous. When it comes to that, I want you to step aside and let the regular agents take the chances. Do you understand, Bob?”
“But I’m not afraid of trouble,” insisted Bob.
“That isn’t it. When the pinches come we want men who have been tried under fire in there. You’ll be used as an inside man in the archives division and in that capacity you are going to be highly important. There must have been a leak somewhere, else how would it have been known that a part of the new radio development had been sent over for filing? It will be up to you to find where this information leaked before Tully Ross and Condon Adams learn it.”
The federal agent paused a moment, before continuing.
“After we find the leak in your department, we’ll have something to work back on. That should lead us to the man or the men who now have the papers that disappeared last night.”
“Won’t the man arrested last night be the key to that?” asked Bob.