back contents forward {{frabfp206.png}} || eagles of the sky || portant looking papers. From time to time he would refer to a volume that had the appearance of a ledger or account book and to which he seemed to attach great importance. How the sight sent a succession of thrills through the whole being of the Secret Service sleuth--here he found himself within arms length of the master crook who had laughed to scorn all previous efforts of the Government to take him with the goods on. Vainly had every possible attempt been made to catch him off his guard; he had proved himself to be too crafty for the best revenue officers put upon his track. And when failure after failure became the rule, the Big Boss had decided to change the policy they had hitherto followed and put an air pilot on the job as being able to go swiftly and easily where others had been so cleverly balked. Then Jack began to wonder where the other two men might be, for thus far he had failed to discover either in the room of the lighted window. Could it be possible both of them had sailed away aboard that Lockheed-Vega ship, bent on some important mission which the Master had entrusted to their care? He could not bring himself to believe this possible--that he against whom so many hostile [[206]] back contents forward