Silence followed the announcement of the Black Star-silence for a moment, during which Muggs watched his master and waited for the sign that he was to choke the man on the divan into insensibility for daring to say such a thing. But the sign was not given.

Suddenly Roger Verbeck felt sick at heart. The Black Star's tone, his bearing, the expression in his face told that he spoke the truth. And Verbeck knew enough to confirm it. Faustina had been acting in a peculiar manner. And that second woman who had called on him in the Black Star's headquarters-how timid she had appeared, how afraid! She had reeled when she read her orders. She had demanded to know where Verbeck got the ring he was wearing. And that very afternoon, when he met her at her home-her words had been mysterious, her actions out of the ordinary.

"So you see how it is," the Black Star was saying. "Do you want to save her, save her brother also? Then release me, and I'll help-for I must save those friends of mine. I'm as much in the dark regarding them as you, for I've never seen any of their faces, remember. You realize what will happen if they are caught, don't you? There could be no escape from the penitentiary for any of them. And there are things to be found in my headquarters-notes in Faustina Wendell's handwriting, for instance, notes giving information--"

He stopped at the look that came into Verbeck's face.

"And you think I'll let you go now?" Verbeck demanded. "Why, I'll fight you more than ever now! You've made a cat's-paw of that boy; you've dragged the sweetest and most innocent girl in the world into your filthy scheme."

"The prosecuting attorney won't consider her innocent when he reads those notes."

"You'd have me let you go-then you'd try to drag _me_ into the mess to save my intended wife! And, through me, others-and so on! It's fight you and beat you now, or surrender to you like a coward, and let you go ahead with your nefarious plans. I'll take the chance, Mr. Black Star!"

Verbeck looked at his watch; it was a quarter of eleven. He whirled to face Muggs.

"Guard this crook!" he cried. "Guard him well. Shoot him if he tries to escape!"

"What are you going to do, boss?"

"I'm going to play the game out to the end. I'm going to the ball and save Faustina Wendell and her brother-and I'm going to see that the police get the others, and then this man here. That's all I have to do-get Faustina and Howard away in time. This crook's clever scheme has another angle-n.o.body can swear the Wendells are mixed up in this.

That's what I have to do-separate the crooks from the innocent victims. Watch that man!"

Muggs screeched at him. The Black Star tried to tell him something.

But Roger Verbeck had dashed from the house and toward his machine. He was almost sobbing, and fear gripped at his heart. The chickens had come home to roost! No wonder Faustina had acted so peculiarly, small wonder she had shown anxiety! And she was in danger. He had ordered her to steal-perhaps her love and fear for her brother would lead her to do so. She might be caught in the act-Faustina Wendell, proud daughter of one of the pioneer families, caught stealing jewels!

And his ring-she had recognized that! Great Heaven! Did she think he was the Black Star? Did she imagine he had played on her love to make her a member of a band of thieves? What might she not suspect, when she had seen that ring?

She would remember that he had led a sort of wild life in the ends of the earth, never showing a tendency to settle down until he had fallen in love with her. She might pile up the little things until she had a mound of evidence-women do such things. She might doubt his manhood, really believe he was the master crook, brutal enough to endanger the girl he professed to love and her brother. Had Howard Wendell noticed that ring, too? Had Howard been the midnight prowler waiting on the boulevard to see what time Verbeck reached home?

He was in the car, out of the yard, rushing like the wind down the street, not caring whether the machine skidded perilously through the snow. It was almost eleven o'clock; he had ample time, more than an hour. It would be a simple thing, after all, merely to get Faustina and Howard to one side and see that neither wore a red ribbon, let the police capture the others, and then explain.

Then another thought came to him-those notes the Black Star had said were in the house where he made his headquarters! The captured men would talk, mention that house, and the police would search. Faustina might be endangered in that way. He didn't dare take the chance of leaving those notes until after he went to the ball. He'd have to search for them, find, and destroy them.

There was more than an hour-he had ample time. He drove the machine at a furious pace, disregarding police, who shrieked at him, barely missing trolley cars, dodging pedestrians at crossings. Out along the long boulevard it was easier going, for there the wind had swept the pavement clear of snow, and there was not so much traffic. He left the paved street and cut down the hill toward the old house where the Black Star had established his headquarters. He did not have time to take precautions; he trusted to the good fortune that always had stood at his side in emergencies. He turned the machine to the curb a block away from the house, sprang out, and rushed across vacant lots toward his goal.

Through the dusty hall he rushed, reaching in his coat pocket for matches. He found a candle in the furnished room and lighted it. Then breathlessly he began his search.

Nothing was in the drawer at the end of the table except what he had seen before. There was no furniture in the room in which letters might be concealed. He inspected the couch, but found nothing. He ripped the seat and back from the armchair, but his search was not rewarded. In the kitchen he opened drawers and bins, but found nothing except dust and cobwebs. He rushed back to the Black Star's room again.

His foot found the trigger of the trapdoor, and he opened it and crept to the edge of the pit to hold the candle and peer down. There was nothing but the smooth cement walls and flooring. He ripped away rugs, searched the floor, finally stood, panting, beside the table in despair.

"He lied!" he gasped. "He must have lied-and I have been losing time!"

He looked at his watch again-it was one minute after eleven o'clock.

It would take him only fifteen minutes to reach the big hall where the Charity Ball was being held if he drove swiftly, and so he had time for further search, but it seemed of no use.

Staggering against the side of the table, he threw out his hand to grip the edge-and a drawer shot out!

He forgot the place and danger, and gave a cry of joy. Accident had accomplished what search had failed to reveal. The drawer was half filled with papers. He inspected them quickly-yes, there were several notes in Faustina's handwriting, and a forged check for three thousand dollars in the bolder scrawl that belonged to Howard Wendell. The Black Star evidently had had that check close at hand to show the boy now and then in case he thought of quitting the organization.

There were other letters, too, the handwriting of which Verbeck seemed to recognize, but could not quite place-letters written by other victims of the Black Star, he supposed.

He carried them to the grate, set them afire, fed them to the flames one at a time. He ran back to the table and pressed the edge of it all the way around, and found one other drawer. There was nothing in it, however, and he felt that he had secured and destroyed all the dangerous papers there. The fire in the grate died down. Verbeck stirred the ashes to make certain nothing remained that would give a clew. Then he blew out the candle and started through the dusty hall to the door.

As he reached it he stopped in alarm. Creeping toward the house from the hedge were two men. Far to the right were two more. To the left were two more. He heard a sibilant whisper from near the wall a short distance away. Light from the nearest street lamp flashed against a policeman's shield.

The police were surrounding the house!

CHAPTER XI-CLOSE QUARTERS

Muggs stood in front of the door for a moment after Verbeck had dashed from the house, then turned to face the Black Star again. Muggs' lower jaw was shot out, his eyes were narrowed, and, but for Verbeck's orders, he probably would have launched himself at the Black Star and attempted the old-fashioned retaliation known as "beating up."

Muggs was small in size, but he had great strength in his arms and shoulders, and possessed knowledge of a mult.i.tude of tricks to aid him in the art of self-defense or aggression. He worshiped Roger Verbeck.

He was ready at any time to fight for Verbeck, to defend his life and his happiness. The fact that the Black Star had caused his master misery was enough to make Muggs want to throttle the man. But Verbeck had decreed against that.

Muggs wished he was at his master's side, helping him in the fight. He imagined Verbeck driving the roadster at top speed through the streets to the big hall; he fancied him entering upon the brilliant scene there, as he had intended doing at a later hour, getting Faustina Wendell and her brother to places of safety, then witnessing the capture of the Black Star's band. He antic.i.p.ated a telephone call from Verbeck telling of success.

Meanwhile he walked back and forth before his prisoner, the pistol held in his hand, and raged at the man on the divan.

"A cur like you causing a man like Mr. Verbeck pain!" he exclaimed.

"Killing's too good for you! I hope you get a life sentence. But he's got you, Mr. Black Star! My boss has you! Have your little signs pasted on his bed and all over his library, will you? Leave sa.s.sy letters for him, eh? I reckon you're sorry for it now!"

The Black Star still was smoking the cigar Verbeck had given him. He blinked at Muggs, and puffed at the cigar furiously, then suddenly bent forward and bowed his head on his hands.

"That's right!" Muggs went on. "Think of your sins! Do a little wailing yourself! Cause my boss trouble, will you? You'd better put your head in your hands and wish you'd played straight! Small good it will do you to repent now, you sc.u.m!"

The Black Star's head bent lower; he was a picture of misery. Muggs looked at him with scorn and turned to walk the length of the room. He stopped his tirade long enough to pick up a sandwich from the table and begin eating it. He imagined the Black Star about to weep because disaster had overtaken him-and Muggs always felt disgusted when he saw a man weep.

But the Black Star was not weeping-he was endeavoring a subterfuge.

When he bowed his head, the burning end of his cigar rested against the rope that bound his wrists together. Now and then he puffed again, until the rope was scorched. Strand after strand was burned through as Muggs talked.

"Getting your dirty hands on your betters and making them join your gang!" Muggs said, walking back toward him. "You got your hands on one too many, I guess. And I'll be a witness at your trial, too! I'll help send you over the road--"

He had pa.s.sed the Black Star and was about to turn. And at that instant the Black Star sprang. Muggs was taken unawares. A fist dealt him a blow on the back of the head. As he staggered forward, trying to turn, the pistol was wrenched from his hand and the b.u.t.t of it crashed against his temple. The Black Star struck him even as Muggs had struck the Black Star in his headquarters room, when Roger Verbeck was shot into the pit.

"Take that, you whelp!" the Black Star cried. "Try conclusions with me, will you-you and your precious master? You haven't whipped me yet!

There's something in that old house I want-money, and those letters-money to get me away to Chicago, and the letters to send to the prosecuting attorney with a sarcastic little note. I'll fix your precious master and his girl. And while he's trying to save her I'll be taking a train out of town. As for my crooks-bah! I never saw their faces-they are no friends of mine. Let 'em go to prison-there are plenty more crooks to be had!"

He kicked the prostrate Muggs and hurried from the house. He did not know exactly in what part of the city he found himself, but he made for a crossing where he had seen a trolley car flash past, where he could make a start downtown.

And Muggs, groaning in pain, remained on the floor, but he was not fully unconscious. He had heard every word uttered by the Black Star-they seemed to ring in his brain. He kept telling himself he wanted to get up, he wanted to do something-but he could not. He struggled mentally to rise, and finally his will was communicated to his muscles. He rolled over, sat up on the floor.

Dizziness overcame him, but he closed his eyes and bit his lower lip and tried to master it. And in time he did, and staggered to the divan and fell upon it.

What was it the Black Star had said? That he was going to his headquarters to get money and letters, that he was going to leave the members of his band to their fate, and make his escape. He must stop the Black Star! Verbeck's plans would be shattered unless he did. And the Black Star would be a living menace to Verbeck unless he was stopped, and perhaps would build up another organization in some other city. Even in this moment of pain Muggs, though claiming no superior power of reasoning, could not help but think what a fool the Black Star had been to tell Verbeck his schemes. That was the man's weakness-he had to boast. It was boasting that had brought him to the close attention of Roger Verbeck and caused all the trouble.