"This looks like the last stage of the chase. We must win now, or never."
"Washington," said Fuller, "is headquarters for such things as that secret document. The embassies just yawn for them."
There was a short pause; Ashton-Kirk halted at a window, and looked down at the eager, grubbing horde in the street.
"What have you heard from Burgess?" he asked.
"He sent in a long written report this morning. It would seem that the flurry on Fordham Road was not the only one last night—or rather this morning."
Fuller handed the other a number of folded sheets. They ran:
"I am sending this by messenger. Can't leave the job myself. About an hour ago Karkowsky got a call on the telephone. A man came to his room door and began hammering to wake him up. The 'phone is on the first floor; Karkowsky hurried down to answer; and I followed him.
"He went into the booth; I couldn't hear what was said, but I could see him through the glass door; and if ever a man listened to anything with attention, he was that man. As I watched him I could see that he grew more and more excited; then he hung up, and rushed out of the booth. The first thing he did was to snatch down a time-table from a rack; skimming it over he threw it aside and then was off up-stairs. I managed to get possession of the time-table; it was a schedule of Washington trains.
"Just now it looks as though my man were going to jump out for Washington. If he does I'll call you.
"Burgess."