Meantime a second spy, whom Jones had not seen, had observed the transfer of the invisible writing and had immediately informed Braine, who was not far away. That his poisoned fruit had stricken down an outsider troubled him none at all. But that mysterious message he meant to have; it might be a life and death affair, it might be a clue to the treasure, or the whereabouts of Hargreave. Thus, while only one man followed Jones, several kept a far eye on Jim. Jones scribbled his name on a blank card and had it taken to the Russian's room. The page eyed that card curiously. It was different from anything he had ever seen before. In one corner were written three or four words which resembled a cross between Hebrew and Greek. "Humph!" muttered the boy. "Whadda y' know about that? Chicken scratches; but I guess the bell rings Roosian. On your way, Hortense," he cried to the hall maid, who wanted a look at the card. "Up t' th' room, sir. He'll see yuh!" The boy kept the silver salver extended expectantly, but Jones went past without apparently noticing the hint. The Russian was standing by a window when Jones knocked and was bidden to enter. "You are not Hargreave." "Neither are you the Russian minister of police," urbanely. "Who are you?" "I am Hargreave's confidential man, sir." The two men eyed each other cautiously. "You speak Russian?" "No. I am able to scribble a few words; that is all." The Russian lit a cigarette and smoked leisurely. He was in no hurry. "No, I am not the minister; but I am his accredited agent. I am empowered to bring back to Russia a man who is known here by the name of Braine, another by the name of Vroon, and a woman who calls herself a countess and unfortunately is one. All I desire is some damaging proof against them that they are outlaws in this country. The rest will be simple." "They have all three taken out naturalization papers." [Illustration: THEY HAVE ALL THREE TAKEN OUT NATURALIZATION PAPERS] The Russian waved his hand airily. "Once they are in Russia those documents will never come to light. This man Braine, it has been learned, has long been in the pay of Prussia, and has given the general staff of that country many plans of our frontier fortifications. I do not know what any one of the three looks like. That is why I sought Hargreave." "I will gladly point them out to you," said Jones, rubbing his hands together, a sign that he was greatly pleased. "That will be very good of you, I'm sure," in a rumbling but perfectly intelligible English. "And suddenly they all three will disappear." "Suddenly; and you may believe me that from that time on they'll be heard of never more." "All this sounds extremely agreeable to me. Mr. Hargreave will be happy to hear that his long enforced hiding will soon come to an end." "All you have to do, sir, is to point them out to me." "It may take a week or ten days."