With Jackpine and Croisset in his power-- He went no further.

Was it too late to do these things now?
Croisset would return.

With a sort of satisfaction it occurred to him that his actions had disarmed the Frenchman of suspicion.

He believed that it would be easy to overcome Croisset, to force him to follow in the trail of Meleese and Jackpine.

And that trail?
It would probably lead to the very stronghold of his enemies.