"Yes," grinned the chauffeur, "I fool you all right. Well that night we could not find anything so we left and Mr. Wernberg went back the next afternoon to look around. One of the plotter's gang discovered that he was there and tried to blow him up." "But who locked us in that room?" demanded Bob. "I did," said Heinrich. "I thought you was part of the German gang." "Didn't you see us?" "No, I only hear you talking. Then I fire one shot to give you a scare." "And you almost blew Bob's head off," added Hugh. "I tried to shoot high," said Heinrich. "Then I hurry away to tell Mr. Wernberg that I had two of the plotters caught. When I was gone I guess one of the plotters came there and you had a fight with him." "The fake detective," exclaimed Bob. "His name iss Kraus," said Heinrich. "He has a little mustache, and in the afternoon he blew up the house, because he knew we were after him and he wished to destroy all evidence." "That's when Mr. Wernberg got hurt," said Mr. Cook. "What was he doing in the house, Heinrich?" He was amazed at the way the mystery was clearing itself up. "As I told you," said Heinrich. "He was looking around for evidence against the gang." "Why didn't he notify the police if he was suspicious?" "As I told you," repeated Heinrich patiently, "he wished to do all himself and when he turned those men over to the police no one could say he was forced to do it. They sent him lots of warning notes because they knew he was after them." "What did the alligator mean?" "It iss the sign of a secret society; all Germans in High Ridge know that. It was that snake Hoffmann who stole poor Percy to kill him and hang him up in the room where they had their office." "How long has Karl been a member of the gang?" asked Mr. Cook. "Ever since Germany went to war with England," said Heinrich. "Nearly three years." "But he never talked as though he sided with Germany." "The ones who mean trouble never do," said Heinrich. "Karl knew enough to keep his mouth shut. You see you never suspected him." "Tell me about Lena," exclaimed Mr. Cook. "Why was she meeting that man Kraus down town tonight and going around with him if she was not working with the gang?" "She pretended to Karl Hoffmann that she was working mit them. All the time she was acting as a spy for Mr. Wernberg. Because Karl Hoffmann was in love with her he told her lots of things, and it was in that way we got most of our information." "Pretty clever, eh?" exclaimed Sergeant Riley, approvingly. "There's another thing, Heinrich," said Mr. Cook. "Why wouldn't you read what was written on that paper tonight?"