Lieutenant Gordon stood for some moments reading the signals flashing from the mountain, and the boys, regardless of the storm, clustered about him. They were unable to understand what was going on, of course, not being familiar with the code, but still they were greatly interested in the proceedings.
"It must be good news!" Jimmie whispered to Frank Shaw.
"Look at him grin!"
The lieutenant did appear to be pleased with the information he was receiving by means of the vaulting rockets, but he said nothing until the signaling ceased, and then he made his way into the hut. He was about to speak when Nestor laid a hand on his arm.
"Wait," the boy said. "This man cannot last much longer, and it is imperative that we listen to what he has to say."Jim Scoby, sitting against the wall near the hearth, groaning dismally with the pain of his broken leg, cast a keen glance at the big fellow and smiled--an ugly smile which informed those who saw it of his belief that Big Bob was now beyond the power of speech. Indeed, this did seem to be the fact for a moment, but then the renegade opened his eyes and motioned to the lieutenant.
"I want to tell you who attacked Cameron!" he said.
A string of curses escaped the lips of the watchman, but they were almost unnoticed in the excitement caused by the words of the dying man.
Nestor and Fremont drew nearer at a motion from Big Bob. Seeing that his profanity did not avail, the watchman set up a loud cry, in fact, a succession of loud cries, as if with the intention of drowning the voice of the speaker. He was silenced only when one of the secret service men threatened him with a billet of wood picked up from the floor.
"I reckon this story ain't goin' to do that geezer no good!" Jimmie said, in a shrill whisper which brought smiles to the faces of his companions.
"Sure not!" returned Frank. "This is the fourth man, and he was there that night. Can you guess whom he will accuse?" he added, with an eager glance at Jimmie, who promptly shook his head and came closer to the group on the hearth.
"I had been hanging around the Cameron building for some days,"Big Bob began, feebly, "hoping to get a look at the Tolford papers.
I had bribed Scoby, and he was helping me all he could. It was for me that he got the key to the suite made."Seeing that the man would not be likely to survive long enough to tell the story as he had begun, Nestor said:
"Wouldn't it answer if I asked you questions on the points we are most interested in clearing up? We can get through quicker that way."Big Bob nodded, and the boy asked:
"You saw Don Miguel there?"
"Yes; he was there."
"Nod or shake your head if you find your voice failing," advised Lieutenant Gordon, and the big fellow expressed his satisfaction with the arrangement by a look.
"Was Mr. Cameron working at his desk when you left him?"An emphatic nod.
"Then that clears Don Miguel," said Nestor. "Who next entered the room?"Big Bob glanced toward Jim Scoby, still snarling at the group.
"Was Felix with him?"
"Yes; Felix and myself," was the unexpected reply.
"It is a lie!" shouted Scoby. "I never saw him that night.""You'll see stars in a minute, if you have got a broken leg, if you keep on interrupting!" said the secret service man, and Scoby subsided for the time being.
"Was the door locked when you entered?"
A nod from Big bob.
"And was Mr. Cameron there, sitting with the door locked, still at work at his desk?" was the next question.
"He was not there. He had been called away."This was a new feature of the case, for Nestor had not considered Mr. Cameron's absence from the room as among the possibilities.
"Was he out of the building?" he asked.
Big Bob shook his head.
"And while he was away you three entered with the false key?"Another nod. Fremont motioned for him to go on, but Nestor laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me see if I can't help you," he said. "I think I can state the case now. You were waiting about the building to secure the Tolford papers, and Scoby and Felix were with you. After the departure of Don Miguel you caused a telephone call to be sent to Mr. Cameron--a call taking him to another part of the building.
Is that right?"
The injured man smiled faintly and nodded.
"There were no telephone calls there that night!" howled the night watchman. "He is lying to you!""Mr. Cameron left the room, locking it after him," Nestor went on, "and you three entered and began looking for the Tolford papers?
Is that right?"
Another nod from the big fellow on the floor.
"And you found the papers, after searching the safe and the desk, and Felix held the mine description while you copied it?""He read it off to me," was the reply.
"Now, what other paper in the Tolford envelope did you copy?"This question brought a shake of the head.
"The will was there?"
"Yes," huskily.
