"
"Anything for a little excitement," said Barnes casually.
He listened at the door until he heard the waiter clattering down the
stairway, and then went swiftly down the hall to No. 30. Mr. Prosser
was sleeping just as soundly and as resoundingly as at midnight!
"By gad!" he muttered, half aloud. Everything was as clear as day to
him now. Bolting into his own room, he closed the door and stood
stock-still for many minutes, trying to picture the scene in the
cottage.
No stretch of the imagination was required to establish the facts.
Sprouse had come to him during the night with Prince Ugo's blood on
the hands that bore the treasure. He had surprised and overpowered the
pseudo Mr. Hasselwein, and had actually tortured him into revealing
the hiding place of the jewels. The significance of the scattered
stove pipe was not lost on Barnes; it had not been knocked down in a
struggle between the two men. Prince Ugo was not, and never had been,
in a position to defend himself against his wily assailant. Barnes's
blood ran cold as he went over in his mind the pitiless method
employed by Sprouse in subduing his royal victim. And the coolness,
the unspeakable bravado of the man in coming direct to him with the
booty! His amazingly clever subterfuge in allowing Barnes to think
that room No.
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