“Yes,” interposed the sergeant encouragingly, as he sedulously kept his glance away from Grail; “what then?”
“Let’s see, where was I? Oh, sure, I remember now; I was in Matschka’s, and the Jap was in his own room, across the hall. Well, I didn’t lose any time skinning out of my uniform, but all the same I had my door ajar, and I kept listening, and pretty soon, just as I expected, I heard him come sneaking over to get an eyeful. I acted like I hadn’t a suspicion in the world, but I was saying to myself: ‘If that guy ever gets out and telephones to Grail that he’s seen me here, I’ll be doing a stretch at Leavenworth sure, and all the while I was opening the knife in my pocket. Then, when I heard his steps turn away from the door, and head for the stairs, I turned like a flash and was after him. The door was open a crack, as I told you, and I had on rubber soles, so he never heard me. I caught him just at the top step, and let him have it between the shoulder blades, and he went down without even a squeak. Then I grabbed a letter that he had in his hand, and blew.”
“A letter?” repeated Cato. “To whom?”
“To Captain Grail. And, believe me, it was some letter, too. The chief was inclined to be peevish when I got over here, and told him what I’d done. But you bet he didn’t have another word to say after he’d taken a squint at that letter. The Jap had the whole game doped out, with all our names and everything else; and he——”
“Hello, there!” he exclaimed sharply, happening unfortunately to turn just as Grail was slipping his foot free from its tether. “Oh, no; I guess you won’t!” And, diving forward, he speedily retied the confining knots more securely than ever. An hour and a half’s patient effort had gone for naught.
CHAPTER XXIV.
NEW TACTICS.
From that time on, Simmons redoubled his vigilance; and at seven o’clock the taciturn and lynx-eyed Matschka returned to the job.
Grail had hoped that possibly their opportunity would come at breakfast, but in this he was destined to be disappointed. Only one of them was permitted to eat at a time, a single arm being freed sufficiently to allow them to feed themselves, and the big Russian standing warily at hand to check the first suspicious movement.
Moreover, since it was not deemed wise to draw attention by starting a fire in the shack, the repast consisted solely of cold bread and meat, and no table implements which might have proved of some service were handed out.
The day wore on in a succession of frustrated hopes. Ten o’clock brought Simmons on as sentinel again, but, warned by his previous experience, he was, if no less loquacious, decidedly more watchful. The end of his shift at one o’clock found the prisoners as far as ever from a solution of their problem, and the time at their disposal half gone.