Halfway down the span, Ben brought the taxi round with a flourish and climbed out, the other two lifting Stevens between them. Murray looked toward his friend, half expecting him to relent at the last moment, but he motioned them wordlessly on, and they set down their burden at the rail. "Over with him!" said Ben remorselessly. They bent.... "I give up," said Stevens in a strangely husky voice. Murray and Tholfsen paused. "Did you hear what I said?" said Ben. "Over with him!" They heaved. "Stop!" screamed the broker. "For God's sake, I'll give up. I'll go. Oh-h-h!" The last was a scream, as Ben laid a detaining hand on Murray's arm. "Let him down, boys," he said quietly. "Now listen, Stevens. I don't want to be hard on you--but we've got to have unanimity. You're done. Take a car and clear out. If I let you go now, will you promise to stay away?" "Yes," said the Wall Street man. "Anything, only for God's sake don't do that!" "All right," said Ben. As they were loading the banker in the car for the return trip a thought struck Murray. "By the way, Ben," he remarked, "didn't he nick you with that gun?" "That's right," said Ben, "he did." And gazed down at the long bright scratch in the heavy metal that covered his shoulder joint. It was uninjured. CHAPTER IV Flight! But when Tholfsen and Murray returned with the coal, Vanderschoof was missing as well as Stevens, and that evening when the car in which Marta Lami had accompanied Roberts on the exploration of the Brooklyn Heights district drew up at the Institute, it had only one occupant. "What happened to Miss Lami?" asked Ben. Roberts gazed at him, surprised. "Didn't you send them? While we were at the St. George Hotel a car came along with Stevens and two of those new men in it. One was the Greek. They spoke to her for a minute and she said they brought a message from you that she was to go with them." "M-hm," said Ben. "I see. Well, as long as they don't come back, it's all right." * * * * * The car whirled out the Albany Post Road in a silence that was indicative of the rivalry that had already sprung up between Stevens and Vanderschoof. As for Pappagourdas he found himself demoted to the position of a "yes man." They had provided themselves with a liberal supply of guns and ammunition, and with the foolish conservatism of the very rich, refusing to believe that money was valueless, had raided store after store until they had acquired a considerable supply of currency. "This is the Bear Mountain Bridge, isn't it?" said the dancer. "Let's stop at West Point and pick up a cadet. They're so ornamental." Stevens glanced at her sourly from the wheel. "We've got to hurry if we want to get to Albany," he said.