"Yes."

"_Redalli_."

Credo fell back like a man suddenly surprised. He appeared for an instant to lose his breath, but he managed to almost gasp:

"Are you on to that?"

"I am on to the whole scheme and just ready to close in. I tell you there is nothing for you in it, and you're lucky."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"You will make a good stake through me."

"What do you want?"

"I want to overhear every word that is spoken here to-night."

"You are dead on to it all?"

"I am."

"Good enough, I am with you, and you know that when I say so I mean what I say."

"I do."

"You shall have the whole business if it's opened up here to-night.

Follow me."

CHAPTER IX

LUCK AND SKILL RUN OUR HERO INTO A GREAT "OPENING" ON TO THE BIG ORGANIZATION, AND LIGHT STRIKES IN VERY DARK CORNERS.

It is not necessary to explain to our readers our hero's great hold on the man Credo; but he knew his man well and knew that when Credo said, "I am with you," the fellow did mean just what he said. Credo led our hero to a rear room and once there he remarked:

"It's dead against me what I am doing. I had a big stake in this enterprise."

"You haven't lost one, old man, the lines are drawn close."

"That's all right so far; but is it necessary that I tumble from anything you may pick up to-night?"

"No, you are safe; you will not come into it."

The man's face was at once wreathed into a smile.

"I know you, Mr. Dunne."

"Yes, and I mean it. You will not in any way be involved."

"They need never know that I keeled 'em over?"

"Never."

"You know your business. When you talk you know what you say. I am satisfied, and I am going to let you into a secret, Mr. Dunne. I can fix you out just lovely. You will have the whole business, for the king-pin is to be here to-night. You'll get the muggs of all the big men. If you were ready to close in you couldn't have a better chance; for as I said the king-pins will all be here to-night. But I don't see how I can run clear of suspicion."

"I tell you that in no way will you be involved. I will open up from another quarter. What I pick up here to-night is only side evidence.

I've got almost all I need."

"And you won't forget me?"

"No, sir."

"You know I've always been faithful."

"You have, and it's a good streak of luck that they covied right here in your den."

"Yes, they have covied here for a long time."

"Are you into this affair?"

"Only partially. I am not one of them, but they have paid me well; never asked me to go in."

"Then you can't locate anything?"

"Only the men."

"You know them all?"

"Only the big fellows, and they will all be here to-night. Their big gun, the boss of all of them, is in town, and to-night he receives reports up there. Yes, sir, you will get it all. Is it luck or Dunne?"

"It's a little of both, old man."

"You've got it good, that's all. You are against the deck every time, and I did not look to you for a drop in on this thing--no, never. But you've got it all; yes, sir, that's certain."

The man Credo carefully locked the door leading into the room where he and the detective stood. He then disclosed a remarkable sight to Dunne.

He slid aside a movable panel covered with paper at the side of the projecting fireplace and revealed a door. Oscar stared.

"You see, I like to know what's going on, Mr. Dunne. I made this little arrangement myself. No out knows of it but you. This opens into the chimney, and there you see a spiral staircase that leads up to the room where the meetings are held. When these chaps come here I always give them that one room, and I have gathered some strange secrets at the head of those steps. You see I've let each party into the arrangements of the room where they meet. They think I have prepared for them a wonderful meeting place. I have arranged for escapes to the roof. Indeed, I've got all manner of ingenious contrivances for them; but you and I are the only ones who know of this little arrangement here. Yes, I am credited for picking up a great deal of criminal news. There's where I get it, up there, and there is where you will get it to-night. I've given you the whole business, Mr. Dunne."

Oscar fixed his keen eyes on his man, and a cold chill ran around our hero's heart. He knew in some things he could trust the man, and he also knew that his own death would relieve Credo of many terrors. He knew that away down in his heart Credo hated him, and there was something suspicious in the revelation the man was making. It struck our hero that the fellow was acting with too much readiness. There was no need for the man to discover this very important secret. Was it possible that Credo was putting up a job to do away with the man who held him in his power?

It was indeed possible at least, and our hero was slow and cautious. He did not intend to be trapped like a mouse nibbling at a piece of cheese.