“Well, that’s all I want to know. I’ll overlook it this time, Toma. You’ve already told me, Dick, about Corporal Rand. Took him to the barracks, you say?”
“Yes.”
Inspector Cameron rose from his chair and paced slowly up and down the room. For a time he seemed oblivious of their presence. He had become grim and forbidding now, stern and austere—not at all the companionable and affable person he had been at the beginning of their interview. Dick and Sandy exchanged questioning glances, then their eyes stole furtively toward the door.
The footbeats came to a sudden pause in front of them.
“I’m grateful to all of you—very grateful! I’m proud of you. Of course, I’ll pay you well. You deserve it.”
Cameron was smiling again. His voice had lost its sharp edge.
“Now, if there is anything that I can do. If——”
Dick interrupted him. It was the opportunity he had been looking for.
“There’s one favor, inspector,” he cleared his throat. “There’s one thing we’d like—Sandy and Toma and I. You see, we’ve talked it over. We don’t want the money. Money isn’t everything. We were glad to help out in an emergency. Glad—but——”
“Yes; yes, my boy. What is it?”