but would have taken all and said nothing. On the other hand, it well
might be that Gungadhura's searchers had stumbled on it. In that
case, there was that secret letter from headquarters hurriedly placed
in his top drawer when the priest came in, that would give good excuse
for putting screws on Gungadhura. A coup d'etat was not beyond the
pale of possibility. As a champion of indiscretion and a judge of
circumstances, he would dare. The gleam in his eyes betrayed that
he would dare, and the priest grew uneasy.

"It is not I who know where the treasure is. I know who knows."

"You mean Gungadhura knows!"

The priest smiled again. The commissioner was not such a dangerous
antagonist after all. Samson's eyes betrayed disappointment, and
the priest took heart of grace.

"For one-half of the treasure I will tell you who it is that knows. You
can take possession of the of the person. Then--"

"Illegal. By what right could I arrest a person simply because some
one else asserts without proof that that person knows where the treasure is?"

"Not arrest, perhaps. But you might protect."

"From whom? From what?"

"Gungadhura suspects. He might use poison--torture--might carry the
person off into hiding--"