'You mean on your last trip?'
'Yep. Some fellow was just talking to me a couple of minutes ago. Wanted to know what time the last bus went. Said he was going out to Ridge Road. I told him I stopped there.'
'Did you know the man?'
'Never saw him before. He talked like an Englishman. Stranger around here, I reckon. He just went down the street, looking over the town. Well, he won't find much to do around this place. Might as well go out on this trip and wander around the woods. This town is as slow as they make them.'
The driver waved good-by as he climbed into his seat and started the bus.
Harry Vincent, lowering his paper, noticed that Bruce had gone. He glanced out the window just as Bruce waved good-by to the bus driver and walked out to him.
'What's up, Bruce?' he asked. 'I didn't see you leave the restaurant. Why the conversation with the bus driver?'
Duncan explained everything that had happened. Harry whistled.
'I'll bet that's our man!' he exclaimed. 'He must have arrived early. Where did he go, Bruce?'
'I don't know,' replied Duncan, 'but he can't be far away. Let's visit some of the stores. Maybe we'll find him.'
They discovered the Englishman in the corner drug store. He was talking to the clerk. Harry Vincent purchased some cigars; he and Bruce lighted them and stood by to listen to the conversation.
'I don't know where you can hire any autos round here, sir,' said the clerk, addressing the Englishman.
'I merely desired to make a short journey,' replied the stranger. 'I supposed that a motor car would be available. I understand that the scenery is beautiful in this district, and I intended to ride up toward the mountains.'
'We are going that way,' said Harry, joining in the discussion. 'We would be glad to have you accompany us.'
The Englishman studied the two young men.
'I should be delighted to accept your invitation,' he said. 'But I should not care to inconvenience you. I wish to return to the village; otherwise I should have been a passenger on the motor bus. But I learned that it does not return until late in the evening.'
'We are coming back to town shortly,' said Harry. 'We are living in a cottage several miles from here.
We intended to run out there and then return some time before dinner. It would be a pleasure to have you with us.'
This argument persuaded the Englishman. He left the store with Vincent and Duncan, but insisted upon riding in the rumble seat so that he could have a better view of the surrounding country. Harry drove slowly along Mountain Pike.
As they neared the foothills, Harry watched the Englishman in the mirror at the front of the car. He could see that the man was interested in something; so he drove very slowly as they neared Ridge Road. As they passed that highway, the man in the rumble seat turned and looked back over his shoulder until they had rounded the next bend.
HARRY kept on until they reached the highest point of Mountain Pike, then he turned the car and drove back to the road that led to the cottage. He invited the Englishman into their house. The guest looked curiously at the radio equipment.
'A sending station?' he said. 'Quite interesting.'
'Yes,' said Vincent. 'We are interested in wireless. This is a good spot to experiment with it.'
'Not many persons living hereabouts, I suppose.'
'Very few. There are some unoccupied cabins in the woods below. Beyond that, across Ridge Road, is the deserted ruin of an old house.'
'Indeed. That's curious. Ruins have always interested me. I have seen many in England, and the Continent.'
'In Russia?' questioned Bruce Duncan suddenly.
The Englishman started. He looked sharply at his questioner. Then his natural indifference returned.
'Yes, I have been to Russia,' he drawled.
'And that is why you are here now,' added Harry.
A curious expression appeared upon the Englishman's face. For a moment, he appeared to be alarmed.
'I don't quite understand,' he said.
Bruce Duncan no longer doubted that the Englishman was the fifth man.
'Why did you come so early?' he questioned. 'You are not expected until midnight.'
The Englishman did not reply.
'We are glad that you arrived early,' continued Bruce. 'We have been waiting for you - to warn you.
Didn't you suspect that something was wrong when you received word to come before the time that was originally stated?'
The Englishman's face expressed concern.
'My name,' continued the young man, 'is Bruce Duncan. I am the nephew of Harvey Duncan, who was one of the seven men who were summoned to meet in the old ruined house. My uncle died. He had the names of the other six men. The list was stolen after his death. Since then, four men have been lured to their doom. You were to be the fifth.'
The Englishman slumped into a chair. He could tell that Bruce Duncan was speaking the truth. He seemed in a daze.
'An impostor,' said Bruce, 'is taking my uncle's place. He has the stolen badge that will identify him as the proper man to receive the wealth from Russia. But he knew that six others would arrive on the appointed night. By removing them, he could keep the secret to himself, and appropriate the shares that belonged to them. Hence he evolved the fiendish scheme of notifying each man to appear beforehand. He set the meeting times a week apart. We are attempting to frustrate his plans.'
The Englishman rose from the chair and became suddenly alert. He extended his hand to Bruce Duncan.
'My name is Hubert Weston,' he said. 'I was a major in the British army during the war. I was in Russia, prior to the revolution. I saved the life of Prince Samanov, one of the czar's generals. I promised him that I would obey any summons that came from him or any one whom he might designate. The proof of its authenticity was to be the mark of his signet.'
THE Englishman drew a folded paper from his pocket. It was a message, stating the time of the meeting place, and naming the spot as the old ruined house below Ridge Road. The note contained complete directions for reaching the place before midnight.
'The time was set for a week from Wednesday,' observed Bruce as he noted the date on the message.
'Correct,' responded Major Weston. 'But I had no idea that others were expected. Hence I would actually have been surprised at the presence of other passengers on the bus, and would have had no suspicion that anything was wrong, should I have come alone.'
Bruce Duncan was studying the seal at the bottom of the message. The Englishman laid another sheet of paper beside it.
'This message followed,' he said. 'You will observe that the impression of the seal in the wax appears to be identical. Yet from what you say, it must be a clever imitation. It would not be difficult to duplicate the seal after one had seen the original impression.'
The second message was inscribed in handwriting that closely resembled the penmanship of the first. It stated that the meeting time had been changed.
'The new date is to-night,' remarked Bruce.
The Englishman was staring at Harry Vincent, who was busy with the wireless key. Bruce Duncan explained the situation, telling of his own adventures and the important part The Shadow had played in these affairs.
'Marvelous!' exclaimed Major Weston, enthusiastically. 'I owe you much, Mr. Duncan, for coming to my assistance. I am quite willing to rely upon your judgment. I am glad that I have been warned beforehand. I shall agree to abide by any instructions that you receive over the wireless.'
