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324 ticed that the entrance gates were copied, as Ivan had said, from those of Malmaison. At a little distance beyond the farther corner of the wall the Prefect told his driver to stop, and a moment later the two other taxis came up and the men got out. They were a businesslike-looking outfit, two of them old acquaintances of mine; and their eyes lightened a little as we exchanged nods.

The Prefect lost no time about his plans.

"Leclerc, Dumas, Levoisin and Bourdet, go down along the wall for about a hundred metres, then climb over and surround the house. Wagner and De Lefferts, come with me. We will enter by the front as soon as you others are inside. You drivers, stay by your cars. Roux, take a position similar to this on the other corner. Allons!" "If I can be of service to Monsieur le Préfet" I began, knowing well enough what the answer would be.

"Merci!" he snapped. "You had better stay with the car. Now then, let's be off."

The four men detailed to surround the house slipped into the bushes that fringed the wall and disappeared. Giving them a few moments start, the Prefect and his two companions walked down to the front gate, where one of them slipped over and opened the small door for the others. The three chauffeurs, agreeing to horn three times as a signal of alarm, took up their positions, one of the taxis going back down the road and the other remaining with the Prefect's limousine.

As soon as the Prefect had disappeared I strolled