“That’s exactly what is troubling me,” confessed his uncle, “and I’m afraid that unknowingly you may be involved. I don’t want you to get caught in a trap if I can help it. That’s why I stopped here tonight. I wanted to have this talk with you, to warn you that there have been important discoveries by the engineers and that they may be through in a few days. From now on watch every single document that is sent through your hands. Don’t let it out of your sight from the moment it is delivered to you until you have filed it and placed it properly in the vaults. Understand?” Bob, his face grave, nodded. “I’ll see that nothing like that happens. But who could be after these new plans?” Merritt Hughes shrugged his shoulders. “Bob, if I could answer that question this problem would be comparatively simple. The answer may be right here in this department; again it may be some outside force that we can only guess at.” “Are you working alone on this case?” Bob continued. A shadow of a frown passed over Merritt Hughes’ face. “I wish I were; I’d feel more sure of my ground.” “That means Condon Adams is also on the job,” put in Bob, for he knew of the sharp feeling between his uncle and Adams, another ace operative of the bureau of investigation. They had been together on several cases and at every opportunity Adams had tried to obtain all of the credit for the successful outcome of their efforts. He was both unpleasant and ruthless, but he had a faculty of getting results, and Bob knew that for this reason alone he was able to retain his position. The fact that Condon Adams was on the case placed a different light on it for Bob, for Adams had a nephew, Tully Ross, who was in the archives division of the department with Bob. There was nothing in common between the two young men. Tully was short of stature, with a thick chest and short, powerful arms. His eyebrows were dark and heavy, set close above his rather small eyes, and his whole face reflected an innate cruelty that Bob knew must exist. If Condon Adams was also on the case, it meant that Tully Ross would be doing his best to help his uncle for like Bob, Tully was intent upon getting into the bureau of investigation. Bob’s lips snapped into a thin, firm line. All right, if that was the way it was to be, he’d see that Tully had a good fight. Merritt Hughes smiled a little grimly. “Thinking about Tully Ross?” he asked. Bob nodded. “Then you know what we’re up against. It’s two against two and if you and I win I’m sure that I can get you into the bureau. If we don’t, then Tully may go up. What do you say?” “I say that we’re going to win,” replied Bob, and there was stern determination in his words. “That’s the way to feel. Keep up that kind of spirit and you’ll get in the bureau before you know it. In the meantime, don’t let any tricks get away from you in this routine. Watch every document that comes into your hands and let me know at the slightest unusual happening in this division.”