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Goloknath Mishra

Deep Dive into Power Automate

Learn by Example
Goloknath Mishra
Singapore, Singapore

ISBN 978-1-4842-9731-5 e-ISBN 978-1-4842-9732-2

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9732-2

© Goloknath Mishra 2023

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively
licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in
any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks,

service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the
relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general
use.

The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the
advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate
at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Apress imprint is published by the registered company APress

Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY
10004, U.S.A.
Introduction
This book is intended for those who are interested in improving
processes using Power Automate, a leading RPA tool. The target
audience ranges from business executives, to citizen developers, to IT
professionals and computer scientists who want to automate
monotonous work efficiently.
Deep Dive into Power Automate is a practical guide for learning the
basics of flows and the implementation guidelines for different real-life
scenarios, including RPA capabilities. The book covers how flows
evolved to be a full-fledged RPA called Power Automate.
This book covers the basic building blocks of Cloud Flows, Desktop
Flows (RPA), and Business Process Flows. It covers their types, triggers,
and actions. You learn to schedule, manage, share, and transfer flows to
different environments. It also includes best practices, troubleshooting
steps, practical use cases, and tips and tricks.
This book is intended for those who want to understand flows, learn
how to write them, and see where to use them. You also learn what
RPAs are and how to identify a candidate for RPA implementation. You
learn how to improve processes using RPAs.
This book also covers AI Builder as an Intelligent Process
Automation (IPA). You learn how to build, train, manage, publish, and
share models, as well as use models in different scenarios. After
completing this book, you will be comfortable with Power Automate
and will be able to implement it in real-life scenarios.
Happy learning!
Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the
author in this book is available to readers on GitHub
(https://github.com/Apress). For more detailed information, please
visit https://www.apress.com/gp/services/source-code.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​Introduction
What Is Process Automation?​
What Is RPA?​
Microsoft Flow and Its Evolution to Power Automate
Comparing Power Automate and the Leading RPAs in the
Market
Comparing UiPath and Power Automate
Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) vs.​Robotic Process
Automation (RPA)
What Is Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)?​
Review Questions
Summary
References
Keywords
Chapter 2:​How to Kickstart Using Power Automate
Creating a Power Automate Environment
Navigating the Power Automate Portal
Different Types of Flows in Power Automate
Plug-and-Play Offerings from Power Automate
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 3:​Cloud Flow
Creating Cloud Flows
Creating a Cloud Flow from a Template
Creating a Cloud Flow from a Description
 Building Blocks of Flows:​Triggers, Actions, and Connectors
Creating an Instant Cloud Flow
Creating a Scheduled Cloud Flow
Creating Automated Cloud Flows
Using Variables
Using Expressions
Sharing, Exporting, and Importing Your Flows
Sharing a Flow as Run Only User
Setting Up Associated Apps
Restoring a Deleted Flow
Using the Controls in Power Automate
Creating Custom Connectors
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 4:​Desktop Flow
Excel and Email Automation
Web Automation
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 5:​Business Process Flow
What Is a Business Process Flow?​
Standard Business Process Flow
Creating a Business Process Flow
Switch and Conditional Branching of Business Process Flows
Executing Workflows and Power Automate Flows from BPFs
Renaming, Ordering, and Assigning Security Roles to BPFs
 Summary
Keywords
Chapter 6:​Process Advisor
Using Process Advisor
Process Mining vs.​Task Mining
Process Mining
Task Mining
Security and Administration
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 7:​AI Builder
What Is AI Builder
Accessing the Prebuilt and Custom Models
Using Prebuilt Models
Building, Training, Managing, and Publishing Models
Different Model Usage
Use the Prebuilt Model in an App
Use a Prebuilt Model in a Flow
Supported Languages and Files
Using Custom Models
The Document Automation Toolkit
Sharing, Administering, and Monitoring Models
Call Limits
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 8:​Licensing Considerations
 Power Automate Licenses
The Standalone Licensing Plan
The Seeded Licensing Plan
The Developer Licensing Plan
Power Automate Add-ons
AI Builder
Unattended RPA
Hosted RPA
Summary
Keywords
Chapter 9:​Mini Project
Creating a New Environment
Creating a Model-Driven App
Modifying a Table
Submitting Data Automatically
Creating a Volunteer Approval Flow
Exporting a Solution to a Different Environment
Summary
Index
About the Author
Goloknath Mishra
is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
(MVP), Microsoft Certified Trainer
(MCT), and Power Platform Solution
Architect Expert with over 14 years of
experience in digital transformation
using Microsoft Tech stack as an enabler.
He has worked with various
organizations in different domains and is
currently associated with NCS Group,
Singapore as a senior IT architect.
During his tenure, he has been
involved in enterprise solution
architecture and design, delivery management (scaled agile, agile, and
waterfall), pre-sales, project management, client consulting, and
business analysis.
He is active in the tech community and participates in different
Microsoft Programs. He is an Udemy instructor, speaker, blogger, and
YouTuber. He runs the Microsoft User Group in Singapore and Odisha,
focusing on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. He is also
one of the founding members of #PowerPlatformClassmates.
About the Technical Reviewer
Aroh Shukla’s
enthusiasm lies in acquiring fresh skills,
with a specific concentration on
Microsoft technologies. He possesses a
deep understanding of the Microsoft
Cloud platform and remains dedicated to
keeping up with the latest
advancements. Through remarkable
communication skills, he can effectively
explain complex technical concepts
clearly and concisely. He readily extends
his assistance to individuals, be they
students or professionals, as they begin
their exploration of Microsoft
technologies. As a leader in the
community, he exhibits strong
interpersonal talents, attentive listening, and a genuine commitment to
driving the community forward.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023
G. Mishra, Deep Dive into Power Automate
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9732-2_1

1. Introduction
Goloknath Mishra1
(1) Singapore, Singapore

This chapter discusses process automation, including how it led to RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and
its history. Microsoft entered the RPA market with its Cloud Flows and subsequently transformed it into a
full-fledge RPA with the introduction of Desktop Flows. They named the RPA product Power Automate. You
will also see a comparison view of Power Automate and the leading RPA in the market.
Human demands are never-ending—they crave comfort, luxury, and lavishness. Nothing is more
important to humans than their comfort and convenience. It is human nature to seek physical and mental
comfort. Everybody wants an easy and comfortable life. This desire triggered scientific innovation and
automation. Narrowing this down to the business realm, humans need automation to simplify processes,
increase productivity, increase reliability, and control costs.
A business process is a group of activities that must be completed to achieve an organizational goal. It
can be simple or complex. Simple methods require fewer steps to execute, whereas complex processes
involve many steps, so they demand governance.
Business process automation (BPA), also known as business automation or digital transformation, is the
technology-enabled automation of complex business processes.

What Is Process Automation?

Process automation replaces humans with machines when executing a sequence of activities.1
Process automation improves a system by removing human input, which includes the following benefits:
Decreases errors
Increases the speed of delivery
Boosts quality
Minimizes costs
Simplifies the operation
Incorporates software tools, people, and processes to create a completely automated workflow

What Is RPA?
Process automation uses technology to automate human tasks that are manual, rule-based, or repetitive.
This is called Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
(Robotic refers to the capability to mimic human actions, process refers to a sequence of steps, and
automation refers to tasks performed without human interaction.)
Blue Prism says, “Robotic Process Automation or RPA is a term for a piece of software, or a ‘robot,’ which
carries out tasks and activities within systems, or applications, in the same way a human would. The software is
perceived as a ‘robot’ because it works robotically, completing tasks automatically in the same way a human
would.” 2
Automation Anywhere states, “With RPA, software users create software robots, or “bots,” that can learn,
mimic, and execute rules-based business processes. RPA automation enables users to create bots by observing
human digital actions. Show your bots what to do, then let them do the work.” 3
UiPath states, “RPA is a software that makes it seamless to build, deploy, and manage software robots that
imitate human’s actions interacting with digital systems and software.” 4
 Microsoft states, “Robotic process automation (RPA) uses software bots to emulate human interaction
within a graphical user interface (GUI) to automate repetitive and manual tasks, saving businesses time, effort,
and headaches.” 5
Before 1990, businesses tended to automate single tasks, so that was the era of macros, because
businesses heavily relied on management information systems. Subsequently, companies marched toward
automation to optimize business processes. Blue Prism first released an RPA in 2003, based on the Microsoft
.Net Platform, to automate processes. Then, Automation Anywhere released its first RPA around 2009. In
2012, UiPath came to the market with its RPA product, due to massive demand in the RPA market.
RPA helps automate structured data. AI subsequently came into the picture to automate unstructured
data, also called intelligent process automation or hyper-automation.
Figure 1-1 shows the evolution of RPA.

Figure 1-1 Evolution of RPA

RPA developed automated applications, called software robots or bots, that mimic and execute rule-
based business processes. RPA can be classified into two broad categories (see Figure 1-2):
Attended
If bots developed in RPA require human intervention while executing, the process is called attended
RPA
Manually triggered
Sign-in is not required because the automation system assumes that the system is already signed in
Unattended
If bots developed in RPA do not require human intervention while executing, the process is called
unattended RPA
Automatically triggered
Windows sign-in is automated with predefined user credentials
Figure 1-2 Attended vs unattended RPA
Figure 1-3 shows a diagram to identify where to start RPA.

Figure 1-3 Where to start RPA

After you know what to do with automation, the next issue to consider are the benefits of RPA. Here are a
few advantages of RPA:
Saves time: Repetitive administrative tasks are done daily in many business processes. RPA allows
businesses to automate and perform repetitive tasks quickly. The business and its employees benefit from
RPA, as they spend more time on productive work.
Increases ROI: RPA tools are more efficient at managing redundant tasks than humans, and they help
businesses improve productivity. That is why one of the most significant benefits of RPA is its +ve impact
on return-on-investment. By incorporating robotic process automation, a business can improve several
processes, which helps manage costs more efficiently.
Eliminates human error: Realistically, human error and fatigue are always factors, no matter how skilled a
person is in their role. Robots never get tired, so tasks are performed accurately each time.
Elevate security: Cybersecurity is essential to a business, and RPA solutions protect against security
breaches. RPA improves security by reducing human interactions with sensitive information, which helps
prevent data leaks and non-compliance. RPA helps keep businesses secure.
Increases compliance: Compliance is essential for the sustainability of a business, and RPA solutions
adhere to guidelines with great accuracy. Additionally, RPA can be audited centrally rather than
performing multiple application audits, reducing compliance risks. RPA can be applied to contract
workflows and submissions, form updates, compliance-related notifications, and related alerts.
Scales business process automation: As a company applies an RPA tool to business activities, the
automation of processes and tasks expands throughout the organization. RPA also allows businesses to
 scale to meet seasonal increases in demand and projected targets with greater confidence, whether
processing orders or invoices, managing inventory, or dealing with other forms of production and service.
Increases employee satisfaction: When tedious processes are automated, employees are freed up to focus
on more critical business needs. As RPA reduces repetitive tasks typically performed by humans,
employee satisfaction increases. Employees can then apply their skills to jobs that require strategic
thinking, like business planning, public relations, and brainstorming.
Figure 1-4 shows the who, what, and why of RPA.

Figure 1-4 Summary of RPA

RPA can be used in different industry verticals, including the following.

Banking:
Mortgage lending
Compliance reporting
Customer service
Client onboarding (KYC/CDD)
Compliance and risk management
Equity research
Logistics:
Order scheduling and tracking
Invoicing and credit collection
Researching loads
Manufacturing:
Supply chain automation
Inventory tracking and processing
Pricing and procurement
Healthcare:
Patient eligibility
Customer service
Scheduling
Physician credentialing
Customer service
Insurance:
Claims processing
Compliance reporting
Customer service
Retail and travel:
Competitive intelligence and price monitoring
Brand monitoring and fraud protection
RPA can be used in different departments within an organization, including the following.
Finance:
Process to pay
 Order to cash
Record to report
Supply chain:
Inventory management
Demand and supply
Planning
IT:
Server and app monitoring
Routine maintenance and monitoring
HR:
Payroll
Onboarding and offboarding
Benefits administration
Customer service:
Address change
Password reset
Payments

Microsoft Flow and Its Evolution to Power Automate

Figure 1-5 shows the evolution of Power Automate.

Figure 1-5 Evolution of Power Automate

Microsoft Flow was initially a cloud-based SaaS service introduced in 2016 and was mainly used in the
Microsoft ecosystem. It allowed users to automate workflows across multiple applications and services
without requiring coding skills. It enabled the creation of automated workflows or “flows” that integrated
different software services and automated repetitive tasks, such as data collection, synchronization,
notification, and management.
In July 2019, Microsoft rebranded Microsoft Flow as Power Automate to reflect the product’s growing
capabilities and evolution. The core functionality and features of Power Automate are the same as Microsoft
Flow. The name change represents the broader vision of the platform as an automation tool that enables
users to drive business productivity and efficiency.
Microsoft added RPA capabilities by introducing Uiflows (with Selenium IDE). In May 2020, Microsoft
acquired Softomotive and incorporated the desktop automation functionality by Win Automation, one of the
market’s leading RPAs. They merged its Uiflows to introduce Desktop Flow.
Microsoft then renamed Desktop Flow Power Automate Desktop (PAD). Power Automate has the
following features:
Cloud Flows: Cloud-based digital process automation (DPA)
Power Automate Desktop (aka Desktop Flow): Desktop-based Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
AI Builder: Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)
Power Automate integrates with over 500 services, including Microsoft applications such as Excel,
SharePoint, and Teams, as well as other popular services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Twitter, and Slack.
Users can create flows using prebuilt templates or customize them based on their specific needs. Users can
also monitor and manage their flows from a central dashboard. Power Automate is designed to improve
productivity, reduce errors, and simplify business processes. It does the following:
Automates repetitive tasks: Power Automate allows users to automate repetitive tasks that would
otherwise require manual effort, saving time and reducing errors.
Connects different applications and services: Power Automate integrates with over 500 services, enabling
users to connect various applications and services and automate complex workflows and tasks.
Enhances productivity: By automating workflows, Power Automate frees up time for employees to focus
on more valuable tasks, which can help improve productivity and efficiency.
Improves accuracy: Automating tasks reduces the risk of human error, which can improve the accuracy
and quality of work.
Enables collaboration: Power Automate can automate and streamline collaboration processes between
teams, which can help enhance communication and cooperation.
Reduces costs: By automating processes and workflows, organizations can reduce costs associated with
manual labor and streamline their operations.
Overall, Power Automate can help organizations be more efficient, effective, and competitive in their
respective industries. As per Microsoft, you can automate your business processes with Power Automate.
The basic steps are as follows (see Figure 1-6):
Plan: Identity the who, what, when, and why.
Design: Design your new automated process “on paper” and consider various automation methods.
Make: Create the Power Automate flows.
Test: Try the automation you created.
Deploy and refine: Start using the automation in production, identify processes that can be refined, and
decide what to change or add.

Figure 1-6 Business process automation steps

Comparing Power Automate and the Leading RPAs in the Market

As of February 2023, the five-year trend analysis per Google Trend
(https://trends.google.com/trends/—see Figure 1-7) shows how Microsoft Power Automate
compares to leading RPAs in the market:
UiPath (www.uipath.com/)
Automation Anywhere (www.automationanywhere.com/)
Blue Prism (www.blueprism.com/)
Figure 1-7 Google Trend view of the leading RPAs
As per Gartner Magic Quadrant6, Power Automate is in the leader segment, along with the leading RPA
tools.

Comparing UiPath and Power Automate

There are many RPAs in the market, but UiPath is the leader, so it’s smart to compare it to Power Automate.
Similarities:
Both support cloud-based and on-premises environment setup.
Both provide unattended and attended automated orchestration and AI solutions for businesses.
Power Automate has AI Builder, whereas UiPath has AI Center, which provides the same drag-and-drop
usability for bringing machine learning models into automated workflows.
Both need a Windows environment to run the Desktop Flows.
Differences:
The Power Automate licensing and implementation costs are comparatively cheaper.
UiPath has a very active developer community with new flows being rolled out every day, while Power
Automate’s society is still growing.
UiPath bots are comparatively more scalable than Power Automate flows.
Power Automate is available on desktop, mobile, web, and Microsoft Teams; the user interface is more
straightforward than UiPath.
In Power Automate, it’s simpler to integrate with other Microsoft platforms, which have a vast library of
connectors in comparison to UiPath.
UiPath is easier to maintain and debug, whereas Power Automate still needs improvement.
Power Automate has templates to quickly create flows, whereas UiPath allows saving templates for reuse.
Power Automate can be targeted to smaller businesses, whereas UiPath targets customers from SMBs to
enterprises when cost is not a concern.
If cost is a concern, Power Automate is a better option. It has massive potential if Microsoft keeps
investing in it and it can compete with other RPA competitors. Also, if the customer IT ecosystem heavily
relies on Microsoft technologies, Power Automate is a better option than UiPath.

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) vs. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

As per UiPath, “Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) refers to the application of AI and related new
technologies, including computer vision, cognitive automation, and machine learning to Robotic Process
Automation.”7
As per Automation Anywhere, “Intelligent Automation (IA) is a fusion of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which together help end-to-end business process automation and
accelerate digital transformation.”8

What Is Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)?

IPA is the fusion of RPA, Business Process Management (BPM), and AI to automate complete, end-to-end
business processes.
It is the evolution of basic, rules-based task automation of structured data into managing and automating
entire business processes of unstructured data using AI technologies. See Figure 1-8.

Figure 1-8 Type of process automation at a glance

Components of IPA are classified into three categories:

Robotic Process Automation (RPA): This is the automation of repetitive, rules-based business tasks
using attended or unattended bots/programs.
Attended: During execution, requires human intervention.
Unattended: During execution, no human intervention is required.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Technology that mimics human intelligence by analyzing data faster than
humans and makes decisions based on past learnings.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Software that can understand, interpret, and manipulate language,
spoken or written.
Machine Learning (ML): A process that uses algorithms to find patterns in structured, historical data
and uses those patterns to make precise predictions on outcomes.
Computer Vision: Technology that enables computers to parse and interpret images. It includes tools
such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) that scan and transform documents into text.
Business Process Management (BPM): Businesses want to know the scope and candidates for
automation, including the cost-benefit analysis, including maintenance.
Process mining: Helps take the event data from your system of records and visualize the processes
happening in your organization. Process mining provides novel insights that can help you identify
 automation opportunities and address performance and compliance opportunities.
Task mining: Helps to quickly capture detailed steps for each process in your organization to help you
better understand places to streamline workflows.

Review Questions
1. What is the difference between RPA and IPA?

2. What is the difference between attended and unattended RPA?

3. What is hyper-automation?

4. What are the benefits of RPA?

5. What is computer vision (CV)?

6. Name three leading RPA applications.

Summary
This chapter started with process automation and moved to intelligent process automation. It also covered
identifying RPA as necessary for the specific organization and its benefits. It explained how flow
transformed to Power Automate, a full-fledged RPA. It also ran a comparative analysis of Power Automate
with leading the RPA, UiPath.
The next chapter dives deep into power automation environments and covers the different types of
offerings in Power Automate.

Keywords
RPA
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Attended RPA
Business process automation (BPA)
Computer vision
Intelligent process automation (IPA)
Machine learning (ML)
Natural language processing (NLP)
Robotic process automation (RPA)
Unattended RPA

References
1. https://www.outsystems.com/glossary/what-is-process-automation/
2.
https://www.blueprism.com/resources/white-papers/what-is-rpa-what-is-intelligent-automation
automation-terminology/
3.
https://www.automationanywhere.com/rpa/robotic-process-automation
4.
https://www.uipath.com/rpa/robotic-process-automation
5.
https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-us/rpa-tool/
6.
https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4016876
7.
https://www.uipath.com/rpa/intelligent-process-
automation#:~:text=Intelligent%20Process%20Automation%20(IPA)%20refers,Learning%20to%20Robo
8.
https://www.automationanywhere.com/rpa/intelligent-automation
9.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer
Nature 2023
G. Mishra, Deep Dive into Power Automate
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9732-2_2

2. How to Kickstart Using Power

Automate
Goloknath Mishra1
(1) Singapore, Singapore

In the first chapter, you learned about the basics of automation and
RPA, including where to use it and its benefits. You also learned about
intelligent process automation and about the journey of Power
Automate. That chapter also compared Power Automate to the leading
RPA in the market.
This chapter dives deep into Power Automate. You learn how to
access it, what its components are, and what flows are. The chapter also
explains what Power Automate offers to citizen developers (without
having to code), as well as what it offers to professional code
developers.
Before starting Power Automate, you should understand its
ecosystem, the Microsoft Power Platform (see Figure 2-1). It’s a low-
code platform for quickly building customized end-to-end business
solutions. It is comprised of the following tools and services:
Power Apps: Provides a low-code development environment for
building custom business applications. It has services, connectors,
data services, and an app platform called Microsoft Dataverse that
allow integration and interaction with existing data. Power Apps
enables the creation of web and mobile applications that run on all
devices.
Power Automate: Allows users to create automated workflows
between different applications. It helps automate repetitive business
processes such as communications, data collection, and decision
approvals. It is used to automate processes and orchestrate activities
across different services that use integrated/custom connectors.
Using Power Automate, users can create web-based Cloud Flows or
Desktop Flows.
Power BI: A business analytics service or BI tool from Microsoft that
gives insights into data analysis. It can share insights through data
visualizations, which create reports and dashboards for easy
decision-making. Power BI scales across an organization, and it has
built-in security and governance, allowing businesses to focus on
using data over managing it.
Power Virtual Agents: It helps create powerful chatbots using a no-
code graphical interface, without the need for data scientists or
developers.
Power Pages: An enterprise-grade, low-code software as a service
(SaaS) environment for creating, hosting, and administering external-
facing websites. Makers can easily design, configure, and publish
websites seamlessly, supporting cross-browsers and devices.
Developers can extend these capabilities by writing code to address
advanced business requirements.
Figure 2-1 The Power Platform ecosystem
As you can see in Figure 2-1, the Power Platform consists of those
five products and includes cross-cutting features that enable it to be
leveraged to its full potential. Some of these include:
AI Builder: Allows users and developers to add AI capabilities to
workflows and Power Apps that they create and use. AI Builder
allows users to seamlessly add intelligence to apps and predict
outcomes to help improve business performance without writing
code.
Microsoft Dataverse: A scalable data service and app platform that
allows users to securely store and manage data from multiple
sources and integrate that data into business applications using a
standard data model. This ensures ease and consistency for users.
Microsoft Dataverse is the common currency that enables the
components of Microsoft Power Platform to work together. It is the
foundation that enables data consolidation, display, and
manipulation.
Data Connectors: Enable a connection of apps, data, and devices in
the cloud. Consider connectors the bridge across which information
and commands travel. There are over 600 connectors for the
Microsoft Power Platform, enabling all user data and actions to
 connect cohesively. Popular connectors include Salesforce, Office 365,
Twitter, Dropbox, Google services, and more.
Power Fx: The low-code language used across the Microsoft Power
Platform. It is a general-purpose, strongly-typed, declarative, and
functional programming language.
Managed Environments: Allow admins to manage Power Platform
at scale in a controlled manner with less effort and more insights.
Admins can use Managed Environments with any environment
except the developer environments. You need admin privilege to
enable or disable a Managed Environment. You should also have
these roles:
Global Admin
Power Platform Service Admin
Dynamics 365 Admin
You can enable Managed Environments in the Power Platform
Admin Center (https://aka.ms/ppac) by navigating to
Environments. Select the check mark to the left of the environment.
On the command bar, you’ll see the following options:
Enable Managed Environment (if not enabled)
Edit Managed Environment (if already enabled)
The following table lists a few of the settings under Managed
Environments:

Setting Description
Limit sharing Helps reduce risk by limiting how widely the Canvas app
can be shared
Don’t set limits Select to not limit sharing of canvas app
Exclude sharing with Select if makers aren’t allowed to share canvas apps with
security groups any security groups. Admins may share with a limit
Limit total individuals If Exclude Sharing with Security Groups is selected,
who can be shared to select to limit the number of people that makers can
share canvas apps with
Usage insights Select to include insights for this environment in the
weekly scheduled email
Setting Description
Data policies Help safeguard your organizational data by restricting
available connectors
See active data policies View the policies that define the consumer connectors
for this environment that specific data can be shared with
People often need clarification about Dataverse as a database, but it
is not because Dataverse has more built-in capabilities than a database,
which is explained next and in Figure 2-2, from the Microsoft
documentation.

Figure 2-2 Microsoft Dataverse in a box

Microsoft Dataverse offers a series of functionalities, as follows:

Security: Dataverse handles authentication with Azure AD for
conditional access and multi-factor authentication (MFA). It supports
authorization up to the row and column level and provides auditing
features.
Logic: Dataverse allows you to apply business logic easily, regardless
of how a user interacts with the data. These rules can be duplicate
detection, business rules, and workflows.
 Data: Dataverse offers the control to shape data, allowing it to
discover, model, validate, and report on it. This control ensures that
data looks the way a user wants.
Storage: Dataverse stores data in the Azure cloud. This cloud-based
storage architecture removes the burden of worrying about where
data resides or how it scales. These concerns are handled by a user.
Integration: Dataverse integrates with different ways to support
business needs. APIs, webhooks, events, and data exports allow data
to get in and out.
In summary, Power Automate is a part of the Power Platform. It also
uses Dataverse as its storage on the cloud, which allows easy
integration with different products, either within the Power Platform or
outside it, along with other associated features. The next section
explains how to create the Power Automate environment, so you can
see all these components in action.

Creating a Power Automate Environment

This section walks you through the process of setting up a Power
Automate environment, step by step:
1. First, navigate to the website
https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/. Then click Sign
In if you have a valid license, or click Start Free, as shown in Figure
2-3.
Figure 2-3 The Power Automate website
2. Then enter a valid email address and click Start Free, as shown in
Figure 2-4. Note that if you use a work or school email, you can
avail the Premium Connectors feature, whereas personal emails
restrict the premium features.

Figure 2-4 Enter a valid email address

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school and college in England. No doubt he had dreams, poor man,
that some day or other I should come into my own again. But that
time has passed for ever."
To Beatrice's surprise she found herself at the end of ten
minutes chatting gaily and freely with the stranger. She noticed from
time to time how his dark eyes were turned upon an ornament
which she wore about her neck. It was a diamond pendant,
consisting of a moth, in dark enamel, the wing set in diamonds. The
other wing was gone, as indeed was part of the body. Beatrice was
bound to notice Uzali's curiosity.
"Do you admire my moth?" she asked.
"It would be impossible to do anything else," Uzali said gravely.
"The workmanship is unique. You see, I am interested in that kind of
thing; indeed, I have made a study of them all my lifetime. Perhaps
you are acquainted with the history of that moth? Do you know
where it came from?"
"Indeed, no," Beatrice confessed. "It conveys nothing to me,
but it has a fascination for me and I wear it frequently."
"And you don't know where it came from?"
"No, except that my uncle gave it to me."
Uzali's eyes flashed and he looked down at his plate which he
appeared to be studying gravely.
"You are fortunate in the possession of such an uncle," he said.
"I wonder if I have the honour of his acquaintance."
"That is probable," Beatrice said frankly. She had lost all her
fears. "So many people know my uncle. He is Mr. Samuel Flower, the
shipper."
 Uzali said nothing. Sitting close by him, watching him carefully,
Wilfrid noticed a sudden flush across the Malay's cheek and how the
dark eyes turned to purple.
"The name is familiar to me," Uzali said, "but then there are so
many people whom I know. So it never struck you to ask your uncle
the history of that pendant? Now what should you say if I could
produce the missing half?"
Beatrice looked up eagerly, her lips parted.
"How very curious!" she said. "But you are joking."
Uzali bowed gravely, then produced a small green packet from
an inside pocket, from which he drew a small folded piece of wash-
leather; and this being undone disclosed what appeared to be an
engraved diamond in the shape of an insect's wing.
"We do strange things in my country," he said with a queer
smile. "We have priests and learned men whose philosophy is far
beyond anything that one knows of in the West. Not that I claim
these powers myself, oh, no. That is quite another matter. But I
think you will be satisfied if I prove to you that this is the missing
portion of your pendant. Mr. Mercer shall be umpire if you like, and
we will leave him to judge. Perhaps you would not mind removing
your pendant for a moment."
Beatrice complied. She was quite excited now. All her strange
fears had fallen from her. With trembling fingers she removed the
pendant from its slender gold chain and laid it on the tablecloth.
Wilfrid reached over and fitted the broken pieces together. He could
see that they matched to a nicety.
"Not the slightest doubt about it," he exclaimed. "These two
pieces once formed one jewel. Now whom does it belong to? Mr.
Uzali, do you claim the whole thing? Are you going to hand over
your half to Miss Galloway?"
"I wasn't thinking of doing either for the moment," Uzali said
coolly. "But I am going to ask Miss Galloway to trust her portion into
my hands so that I can get the ornament mended, when I hope she
will allow me to send her the jewel intact. All I ask in return is that
Miss Galloway will inquire of her uncle how the moth found its way
into his hands."
"Perhaps you know already," Beatrice smiled. But Uzali was not
to be drawn. He shook his head.
"I do not claim any occult powers," he said. "I merely said that
there are wise men in my country who possess them. And now, if
you will be good enough to give your portion of the moth to me I
will let you have it in a few days restored to its original beauty."
Beatrice hesitated. Yet, why not comply? The request had been
made tastefully and in good faith. It was a graceful thing to do and
her moth had always fascinated her. She handed her portion to Uzali
with a smile.
"It is exceedingly good of you," she said, "and I am obliged by
your kindness. I am equally justified in handing my half of the
treasure over to you——"
"But I don't wear that kind of thing," Uzali protested. "Now give
me your address so that I may carry out my promise. Miss
Marcombe, are you ready? I think the next dance is ours."
The Malay had vanished before Beatrice could say more. Her
excitement had passed away. She looked at Wilfrid with troubled
eyes. Had she done wrong?
 "Leave it to Providence," Wilfrid said answering her unspoken
thoughts. "The Malay, at least, meant well."

CHAPTER XVIII
A TANGLED CLUE

Beatrice turned once more to her companion. The look of fear was in
her eyes again. No sooner had the charm of Uzali's appearance been
removed than it seemed that she had done wrong. Perhaps Wilfrid
guessed her thoughts.
"I don't think so," he said. "It certainly was a most surprising
thing to happen. But I have come across more extraordinary
coincidences in my life, and, do you know, I rather like our friend.
He seems to be a gentleman."
"I think so," Beatrice said doubtfully, "but I am frightened all the
same. He was so like the man——"
"Who tried to get into Maldon Grange the other night. But you
surely do not believe that a man like Mr. Uzali could be guilty of
burglary. I am disposed to believe what he said. If I were you I
should think no more of the matter."
"That is all very well," Beatrice protested, "but I am bound to
tell my uncle."
"Then tell him," Wilfrid said, growing rather impatient. "It is
clear that you have nothing to fear. When you mentioned your
uncle's name, Mr. Uzali gave no sign that he had ever heard it
before. Don't you think we are in the way of these people here?"
 Beatrice glanced round her to see that most of the tables and
chairs had disappeared and that the stage was nearly ready for
dancing. The guests had increased considerably and the theatre
appeared to be filled with visitors. They had overflowed into the
auditorium and already many had gathered in stalls and boxes to
watch the entertainment. As Beatrice moved away with her
companion a man came up and accosted her.
"I think you are Miss Galloway," he said politely. "I don't
suppose you remember me, though I have dined more than once at
your house in town. Your uncle sent me to look for you. He is in one
of the boxes. If you will allow me to show you the way. From what I
understand he has not been very well. I don't think there is anything
to be alarmed about; only he wanted you."
Beatrice waited for no more. She hurried off with her new
companion until they came to a box at the back of the dress circle.
Here one or two men were talking somewhat earnestly to Flower,
but he dismissed them with a gesture as Beatrice came in. There
were one or two shaded electric lights behind Flower's head, but
subdued as they were Beatrice did not fail to notice the pallor of her
uncle's face. There was a quick irritation in his manner which she
had never noticed before.
"I have sent for you everywhere," he said. "Where have you
been? And tell me, who was the man you were supping with? Now
don't prevaricate. Tell me at once."
Beatrice's face flushed with indignation.
"There is no reason why I should not tell you," she said. "I went
into supper with Mr. Mercer. He is a guest here as well as ourselves.
Perhaps we stayed too long——"
 Flower waived the suggestion aside impatiently.
"Oh, why do you waste my time like this?" he asked. "I don't
mean Mercer at all. I want to know who was the other man who sat
at the same table with you?"
Once again the old dread was closing in upon Beatrice. She
glanced at her guardian with troubled eyes.
"I have never seen him before," she said. "It was no fault of
mine that he sat at the same table. He came in with Miss Marcombe,
the actress, who, as you know, has been a guest of ours at Maldon
Grange. She introduced him as Mr. Uzali. He is not an Englishman,
but I found him very entertaining, and a gentleman. Moreover, he
surprised me by saying he had seen my moth brooch before. He
declared he had a piece which would match the broken part and
took it from his pocket. It seems almost incredible, but the match
was perfect."
"You let him have it?" Flower asked hoarsely.
"What else could I do? He promised that he would return it in a
day or two completely restored."
Flower said nothing for a moment or two. He sat looking
gloomily at the glittering stage below. Beatrice could see that his
hands were clenched so that the muscles stood out strong and blue.
It was not for her to deduce anything from these signs, but she
knew that Flower was moved to the very core of his being. He
turned to the girl with an effort.
"Was my name mentioned between you?" he asked.
"Certainly, I told him who you were," Beatrice said, "but it did
not strike him as familiar. You might have been perfect strangers
from the way in which he spoke of you. But why all this mystery,
uncle? What have I done that is wrong?"
Flower pulled himself together with an effort, but there was an
unsteady smile on his thick lips. He tried to speak gaily, but Beatrice
noted how forced his words were.
"Another romance!" he said. "I must make the acquaintance of
your friend. No, I am not in the least angry; only one comes in
contact with such strange people at this sort of an affair that you
cannot be too careful. And now if you are ready I should like to go
home. Somebody will call a carriage for us. I'll stay here till you
come back."
For some reason the man was afraid to move as Beatrice could
plainly see. She wondered at his want of strength, at his sudden
display of cowardice. She had never seen him in this mood before.
She had never known him to display anything that savoured of
terror.
"Just as you like," she said coldly. "I daresay I can manage."
The carriage came at length and Flower moved reluctantly from
the shadow of the box. The night was not cold, but he huddled
himself in a big coat so that he might not be recognized. But as they
walked through the hall to the portico Beatrice saw that Mercer was
not far away. The latter waited until they had vanished, then he
made his way back to the stage again. The first person he
encountered in the wings was Russell.
"I have been looking for you everywhere," the latter said. "I saw
you on the stage just now when you were having supper, but it was
not policy to come near you. What has become of Flower and his
niece? Have they left?"
 "Some few moments ago," Mercer explained. "I think I shall
have enough information even to satisfy you. If you were watching
us at supper I suppose you saw whom we sat down with?"
"That was why I was looking for you," Russell said eagerly.
"What a stroke of luck that our friend the Malay should take a seat
at the same table. What was he doing with that ornament which
Miss Galloway was wearing?"
By way of reply Mercer led the way to one of the refreshment-
rooms. It would be much easier to talk the matter over a cigarette
than stand chattering where they were in everybody's way. Russell
was an attentive listener. He said nothing whilst Wilfrid poured out
his story.
"Splendid!" he muttered under his breath. "Nothing could have
happened better. I came here on the off-chance of picking up some
information, but I never expected to gather as much as this. But I
will explain all in good time. Now let us get as near that party by the
alcove as we can. Unless I am mistaken Uzali is in the midst of
them. We don't want to arouse his suspicions, but I am going to let
him know that he has friends here. We can hear what is going on
without appearing to listen."
There were four or five men in the alcove and room for as many
more. Russell and his companion pushed their way in casually and
lighted their cigarettes. Uzali appeared to be finishing some
anecdote, for he stopped presently and smote emphatically with his
fist on the table before him.
"Not a sign, gentlemen, I assure you," he said, "not so much as
a single clue. But I am not the man to be rebuffed at the first
disappointment. No, I would rather not go back to the stage if you
don't mind. I will stay here till you are ready to go. I am not a
dancing man."
The alcove speedily cleared, leaving Wilfrid and Russell opposite
Uzali, who smoked his cigarette as placidly as if nothing had
happened to upset the even tenor of his way. Russell reached out his
hand to an empty chocolate box around which a silk string was still
attached. He took the string in his hand and tied it into a variety of
knots.
"That was a strange story you told just now, sir," he said coolly.
"You will pardon my friend and myself if we listened."
Uzali looked up sharply with a challenge in his eyes.
"I was wondering," Russell went on, "if the clue was anything
like this which I hold in my hand." With apparent carelessness he
tossed the string across the table and waited for the Malay to speak.
"You have said too much," Uzali murmured, "or too little."

CHAPTER XIX
FENCING

Russell sat unmoved; he was not acting without due deliberation,

though he realized that he had a dangerous foe to deal with. For
some time Uzali played with the string, tying and untying the knots
as if he were making up his mind what to do next. To Wilfrid Mercer,
looking on, the incident reminded him of two chess masters bent
over a table.
"You are a stranger to me," Uzali said.
 "That, to a certain extent, I am prepared to admit," Russell
replied. "I don't know whether you are a religious man or not, Mr.
Uzali, but probably you will agree with me——"
"So you know my name at any rate," Uzali said.
Russell shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't want any credit for that," he said. "I could have learnt
your name from a score of people since I have been here. Besides, it
is no news to me seeing that I am under the impression that you are
using it as a nom de guerre. On the other hand my name is Swan
Russell, and this is my friend, Dr. Wilfrid Mercer. I have spent a great
deal of time in Borneo seeking a fortune, which, until a short time
ago, appeared to be within my grasp. Unfortunately, I had
unscrupulous people to deal with, and am really hard up for a
hundred pounds. My friend, Dr. Mercer, is even in worse case than
myself. He had the misfortune to be a medical attendant on board a
steamer which was wrecked in the East. I should not be surprised if
you have heard of a boat called the Guelder Rose, which was owned
by Mr. Samuel Flower, of the Flower Line of steamers. Believe me, I
am not occupying your time merely to hear myself talk."
Uzali glanced keenly at the speaker. The look of suspicion had
died from his face. Something like a smile lurked in the corners of
his mouth.
"I may be mistaken," he said, "but I think you are a man after
my own heart. Now tell me candidly—have you suffered any wrong
at the hands of this Samuel Flower? Is your friend in the same
predicament?"
"That is so," Russell said gravely. "But for Samuel Flower I
should be a rich man. But for Samuel Flower my friend Mercer would
not be so desperately situated as he is. I think I have given you
enough evidence of my bona fides in the piece of string which you
are holding in your hand."
"I am not going to deny it," Uzali said. "And I see the necessity
for caution. I suppose you realize that Mr. Flower is in some
danger?"
"Flower is in imminent peril of his life I know," Russell replied.
"Upon my word, I hardly know how to go on. To all practical
purposes, you are as good as an Englishman, Mr. Uzali, and you
know our laws as well as I do. If anything happened to Flower now
and the trouble were traced home to you, for instance, you would
have considerable difficulty in saving your neck. In other words, I
am going to accuse you of being concerned in a conspiracy to put an
end to Samuel Flower. I know this is a bold assertion."
"Oh, we will grant it for the moment," Uzali said coolly. "I
confess you startled me when you passed me that piece of string. I
see you understand the significance of those five knots, and, indeed,
you have already told me that you have spent a good deal of your
time in North Borneo. You pay me the compliment of deeming me to
be an antagonist worthy of his steel, and I have an equal respect for
your courage and audacity. But you are wrong in asserting that
Samuel Flower stands in danger from me at the present moment.
Later, perhaps, circumstances may alter. In the meantime he is as
safe as yourself."
The last words were uttered with a grimness which was not lost
upon the listeners.
"I thank you for those words," Russell said gravely, "and none
the less because they prove to me that you don't know everything.
You are unaware, I suppose, that two of your fellow-countrymen
were, until recently, engaged to a circus proprietor who is touring in
Kent. It does not matter who this circus proprietor is. The main point
is that he picked these men up in the Mediterranean and they have
been a great draw to his show. A little time ago the circus was at a
place called Castlebridge, which happens to be quite close to Maldon
Grange, the country residence of our friend Mr. Samuel Flower."
Uzali nodded his lean yellow head restlessly. It was evident that
this information was new to him. He looked at Russell rather
searchingly, as if trying to read his inmost secrets. The company in
the theatre was beginning to get smaller. Not more than a score or
two of guests remained, and these were mostly men who had
crowded into the refreshment-room.
"You cannot tell how vastly I am obliged to you," Uzali said.
"But please go on. I give you my word of honour that I had not the
least idea of this. I had not the remotest knowledge that one of my
own clansmen was in England. But I still see you have something
important to say. I am all attention."
"Well, how, I don't know," Russell resumed, "but these men
found out that Samuel Flower was in the neighbourhood. They made
one or two excursions to Maldon Grange, because my friend Mercer
happened to see them himself. He will describe to you what
incantations they were going through and the mysterious way in
which they vanished when he interrupted them. Late that night an
attack was made on the life of Mr. Flower, and, but for the
intervention of Dr. Mercer, the ship-owner's troubles would have
been at an end. But perhaps my friend had better tell the story in his
own way."
 "Incantations," Uzali muttered. "Oh, yes, I understand. There
were brass crucibles, a peculiar smell, strange globes of light. Oh,
yes, I have seen it all before. And, mind you, it is not the poor
make-believe of magic such as you get in Europe. That was the real
thing. But I am interrupting you, doctor. I shall be greatly obliged if
you will tell me everything."
Nothing loth, Wilfrid proceeded to tell his story which Uzali
followed with breathless attention.
"I assure you I knew nothing of this," he said, when at length
Mercer had finished. "I never guessed anything of the kind. On the
contrary, I would give more than half I possess to insure Samuel
Flower's safety for the next few weeks. We are wasting time here. I
shall be glad if you gentlemen will come with me as far as
Castlebridge without delay so that I may interview these fellow-
countrymen of mine. They will listen to me as they will listen to
nobody else. When they have my commands they will obey them as
well-trained hounds should do. It is perhaps fortunate that Samuel
Flower is in town, but those men are so fearless, so reckless of life,
that it is little—but we must be moving. I shall be glad if you will
come with me as far as my house so that we can take the motor
without delay and get to Chatham before daylight. It is the only way
I can see."
"But I cannot leave town," Mercer protested. "I have some
urgent business which will keep me here till Saturday at the least.
You seem to have forgotten what I told you about those countrymen
of yours. They were fetched back to the theatre at the end of a whip
by the proprietor and his big negro, but by the morning they had
vanished. It seemed so strange to see them return in that docile
fashion. I am afraid you will have great trouble in finding them now."
"It is annoying," Uzali muttered. "I had forgotten that those
fellows had given the circus proprietor the slip. At any rate, I shall
not have to look for them in the country. If they are not already in
London, they are on their way here. And now, gentlemen, will you
do me the honour of coming with me as far as my house? There is
still much to be said between us, much to explain, and I am sure
that if you will only put out a hand to help me, I shall do everything
in my power to assist you. Is that a bargain?"
The lights were going out one by one. The few late stayers were
drifting away from the bar. It was not far short of three o'clock in the
morning, but none of the trio were disposed to sleep. The air
seemed to be charged with magnetic fluid; something like danger
lingered in every nook.
"By all means," Russell said. "I should like to tell you my story,
and then you can judge whether I am right or not in what I have
resolved to do."
Without another word Uzali slipped into his overcoat and bade
his companions follow. They entered a cab and were whirled
westwards until they came to a tall block of flats at the corner of
Oxford Street. Uzali put his key in the latch and opened the door.
Then he stood back with a bow signifying that his companions might
precede him.

CHAPTER XX
THE WATERFALL
The flat was not a large one, but the new-comers could see it was
most luxuriously furnished and fitted with every modern
convenience. Uzali led the way into a cosy dining-room where he
switched on the electric lights. The walls were dark red, showing up
the pictures and china to perfection, and the overmantel was fitted
with a bookcase. With a wave of his hand Uzali bade his guests be
seated.
"Oh, yes, it is fairly comfortable," he said with a shrug of his
shoulders. "I am getting to the time of life when one takes a
philosophic view of things. After all, I have little more than I want. I
have my many friends in London and I have my books. Still, I cannot
forget that if I had my deserts I should be in a very different
position. I ought to be a prince in my native country, with the control
of some thousands of men, and there are times when the longing for
the old life grips me and I could commit a thousand crimes to feel
my feet on my native soil again. But all that is past and done with. I
am waiting my time, and when one man pays the penalty for his
crime I shall be free to go my own way again. But I did not bring
you here to talk about myself. On the contrary, I am anxious to hear
Mr. Russell's story."
"I am afraid there is very little story I have to tell," Russell
replied. "I have been a rolling stone all my life, always seeing a
fortune and never finding one. I have no doubt if I had stayed at
home like the average man I should have done well enough, but
from my earliest days the fever of adventure has been in my blood
and I cannot settle down. I have been everywhere where gold is to
be found. I have risked my life a score of times only to come out of
each adventure a little poorer than I went in. Three years ago I was
stranded at Key West penniless and without a notion how to get a
night's shelter. There by great good fortune I found a man I had met
years before, and to him I explained how I was situated. He had not
much to offer me, save that he was going to Borneo orchid-hunting,
and he wanted some one to accompany him. I jumped at the
chance. Anything was better than the slow starvation that stared me
in the face. To make a long story short, we landed five weeks later in
North Borneo and proceeded to push our way inland. It was all right
for a day or two, then we began to have some notion of the
difficulties which surrounded us.
"The natives were bad, to begin with, and matters were made
all the worse by the discovery that those people regarded certain
flowers as sacred. They attacked us one night when we were quite
unprepared for an assault, and in the morning I was the only one of
our party who was left alive. My life was spared by accident. I
happened to have in my possession a medicine-chest out of which I
had given one of our native followers some quinine which cured him
of ague. Of course I need not tell you that we were betrayed, and
that my native patient was one of the traitors. I thought my time
had come as I lay there before one of the camp fires, picking out
words here and there from their jargon, a portion of which was
familiar to me. After a day or two I gathered that I was going to be
taken up country and brought into the presence of one of the chiefs
who was suffering from some illness.
"Well, we jogged along for two or three weary days until we
came to what, at one time, must have been a considerable town. I
was surprised to find huge stone buildings divided into streets. I was
amazed to see what must have been a magnificent circus. I saw
scores of baths hewn out of the side and filled with most deliciously
cool lake water. It was only afterwards that I learnt that the town
was situated at the foot of a lake, and that hundreds of years ago a
great dam had been built across the waters to keep them from
flowing into the town. I have seen nothing so remarkable since I
visited old towns in Mexico. One thing struck me as particularly
strange. For all the town was so large, there could not have been
more than five or six hundred inhabitants. Oh, you will pardon me,
Mr. Uzali, but they were, for the most part, the image of yourself.
The natives who had destroyed our expedition were a different class
of men altogether. They were big, ugly black men. There were
thousands of them up in the mountains, but they appeared to be
terribly afraid of the people who occupied the town."
"A matter of civilization," Uzali muttered.
"Well, perhaps so," Russell went on. "At any rate, they made me
comfortable. I was led to understand that they regarded me with a
certain amount of reverence, and I felt safe so long as I made no
attempt to escape. I was free to roam the mountains, and the
valleys below the town, indeed, I was free to do everything I
pleased so long as I showed up at twilight. By this time I had
established my reputation as a doctor. I was well in with the chief of
the tribe. I had learnt a great deal of their past history. I had learnt
something on my own account, too, which I regarded as still more
valuable. Below the town in one of the valleys I found traces of gold.
I worked a place for weeks until I was certain that the gold was
alluvial and that it had been washed down from the lake during
hundreds of centuries. I calculated the amount of gold there. It was
worth perhaps a couple of hundred thousand pounds, and when all
that was extracted there would be nothing left. There was nothing
for it but to bide my time and hope for the best. Sooner or later my
store of drugs would be exhausted, and then it was possible that I
might be allowed to go down to the coast and replenish the chest.
"There was another discovery I made about the same time and
that was a large amount of treasure which was hidden away in the
chief's palace, I found it out by accident, too, though I feared at one
time that the accident was going to cost me my life. I don't think I
have ever seen a man so majestically angry as the chief was when
he caught me gloating over his treasures.
"'The cause of all our troubles,' he said. 'But for those accursed
things I should be master of this island from one side to the other.
They bred greed and murder amongst my followers, they caused the
shedding of blood. Base treachery followed wherever they went. No
one knows they are here but myself. No one shall ever know but
myself, for after my death there shall be no more chiefs of the clan,
and gradually we shall fade away and die, as our brethren perished
across the seas in Mexico. I will make a bargain with you, if you like.
If I die first you shall have your freedom, you shall take six of my
mules and six of my ponies, and you shall load them up with
everything here that you most desire. With my seal upon them they
will be safe from all men until you reach the coast.'
"There was nothing more to be said or done after that, only to
wait my time and trust to fortune for a means of escape. So far as
the chieftain's offer was concerned I thought no more about it, for
he was a man in the prime of life and likely to last as long as I
should.
 "But one never knows. A week or two later came rumours from
the mountains that certain white men had penetrated there and that
they meant to make a raid on the town, accompanied by a gang of
desperadoes whom they had bought over by promises of reward. We
thought nothing of it, though it occurred to me once or twice that
the chief looked grave and that he did not go quite so far afield as
usual. It was late one afternoon when he came limping back into
camp, and a messenger came to me post-haste to say that he had
poisoned his foot with a prickly cactus. No sooner had the
attendants left us alone than the chief turned to me eagerly.
"'I have deceived them all,' he whispered. 'It is no cactus which
is the cause of the trouble. I was attacked in the woods this
afternoon by a handful of natives who have hitherto been faithful. I
managed to escape under cover of darkness, but not before I
received this wound in my heel, which will be fatal.'
"I smiled at the chief's fears, but he shook his head with the
utmost gravity.
"'I tell you I am right,' he said. 'I know the poison well. There is
nothing in your box that can cure me, and when I am out of the way
those people will swoop upon the town and not one of my followers
will live to tell the tale. Say nothing to anybody about this, but
gather my most faithful men about you and let them know what has
happened, so that they may be ready when the times comes, but
not to-night—wait till the morrow. Meanwhile, all I want to do is to
be left alone to sleep.'
"There was nothing to be done but to obey the chief's
commands and I went sorrowfully out. I did not return to the palace
till the moon was high and the town asleep. The chief was
slumbering peacefully, but his leg had swollen horribly, and it was
evident that he had told me no more than the truth.
"Sick at heart and utterly undetermined in my mind what to do I
climbed the moonlit street till at length I came to the majestic weir
which bordered the lake and kept the tide back from flooding the
town. It seemed to me as I stood there that I could hear whispered
voices, and I hastened to hide myself behind a mimosa bush. Then a
figure emerged into sight—a face and figure quite familiar to me.
The light fell full upon his features and disclosed the last man I
expected——"
"I know," Uzali cried, "Samuel Flower!"

CHAPTER XXI
A DOUBLE FOE

Russell smiled slightly in reply. Apparently he expected Uzali to make

that guess, for he went on again unsurprised. Nor had Mercer time
to show any astonishment.
"I am obliged to you for saving me so much trouble," Russell
said. "It is so pleasant to have an appreciative audience. I don't
mind admitting that at the time I was more surprised than Mr. Uzali
appears to be now. Mind you, I knew Samuel Flower well enough. I
had done a variety of work for him from time to time, some of it
shady, but nothing that one could call positively dishonourable. But
to see that man on that side of the globe came on me like a shock. I
thought the blackguard was in London, engaged in his congenial
occupation of sending coffin ships to sea and profiting by their
wrecks. When I came to think of it, I remembered Flower once
telling me that he had been pretty well all over the world in his
youth, and now I guessed what he was doing in that out-of-way
spot. I knew he was there with sinister designs upon my friendly
host. I knew he must be at the head of the faction of natives who
were bearing down upon the devoted city."
Russell paused and helped himself to a fresh cigarette.
"Mind you, I am not taking credit to myself for any
philanthropy," he went on. "I admit those people were very good to
me, but I wanted to get back to civilization nevertheless. And I am
afraid I was thinking more about those jewels than anything else. If
I could succeed in reaching the coast with them, why, then, my
fortune was made. All these thoughts passed swiftly through my
mind as I crouched behind the friendly shelter, watching Flower and
his companions. There were two Europeans besides himself, and
some half-a-dozen natives who stood at a distance waiting for
orders. It puzzled me to know what they were doing up there, and it
was some little time before I could make out. But gradually the thing
began to appear plainer, for one of the Europeans came along with
something in his hand which I made out to be an electric battery.
This man silently paced along the whole length of the dam, then he
proceeded to make pencil notes in a pocket-book. Flower seemed to
be watching him carefully, as if waiting for a verdict.
"'No great difficulty,' said the man with the pocket-book by and
by. 'On the whole the thing appears feasible. It only means removing
a stone or two and applying a big charge of dynamite and the thing
is done. I don't think we need take the trouble to keep our men
here. The less people we have about us the better. We can easily
find some excuse for sending them to the coast. It is by far the most
expeditious plan, to say nothing of its absolute safety.'
"'And those places down there?' Flower asked.
"The man with the battery shrugged his shoulders.
"'What does it matter?' he asked. 'It will only make the game
exciting afterwards—the finest game of hide-and-seek you ever had
in your life. You leave it to me and I'll fix it all right. And the sooner
it comes off the better.'"
Russell made another pause.
"I daresay you will think me stupid," he said, "but for the
moment I could not make out what those fellows were doing. I
knew there was mischief on foot. I knew that Samuel Flower would
never come all that way for nothing. But, for the life of me, I
couldn't see what they were driving at. I stayed there thinking the
matter over long after Flower and his companions had gone, but the
more I pondered the more muddled I grew. Still, I decided to go
down presently and see how the chief was progressing. It only
wanted a glance in the moonlight to see what had happened. The
poor fellow was dead. He had told me the sober truth. He had fallen
by a poisoned arrow shot by one of those miscreants who had
guided Flower and his companions to that out-of-the-way corner of
the world.
"But there was nothing for it but to wait for the morning. I went
back to my own quarters sorrowfully enough, feeling that I had lost
what little power I possessed, for since the chief was dead my
reputation for surgery would vanish to nothing. I might alarm the
natives in the morning and try to show them what was in store for
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