"What are the first and second figures of the combination?" he asked.
"Thirty-six, then back to ten."
Mr. Grimm set the dial at thirty-six, and then, with his ear pressed
closely against the polished door, turned the dial slowly back. Senor
Rodriguez stood looking on helplessly, but none the less intently. The
pointer read ten, then nine, eight, seven, five. Mr. Grimm gazed at it
thoughtfully, after which he did it all over again, placidly and without
haste.
"Now, we'll look inside, please," he requested, rising.
Senor Rodriguez unlocked the safe the while Mr. Grimm respectfully
turned his eyes away, then pulled the door wide open. The books had been
piled one on top of another and thrust into various pigeonholes at the
top. Mr. Grimm understood that this disorder was the result of making
room at the bottom for the bulk of gold, and asked no questions.
Instead, he sat down upon the floor again.
"The lock on this private compartment at the top is broken," he remarked
after a moment.
"_Si, Senor_," the diplomatist agreed. "Evidently the robbers were not
content with only fifty thousand dollars in gold--they imagined that
something else of value was hidden there.
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