found hidden upon them."

"Yes, yes!" a score of voices shouted; "they have been caught in the act
of cheating."

"Take those two men into custody," the constable said to two of his
companions.

"Who fired that pistol?" he went on.

A number of voices shouted:

"Sir James Flash; he attempted to murder Mr. Thorndyke."

The constable nodded to the man who had laid his hands on Sir James
Flash, and in a moment a pair of handcuffs closed on his wrists.

"You shall repent this!" Flash exclaimed furiously.

"Calm yourself, Sir James," the constable said calmly. "We know our
duty, and do it whether a man is a peer or a peasant; you are accused of
card sharping and an attempted murder."

"What is your address in town, Mr. Thorndyke?" he asked.

"18 Villiers Street."

"Is there any charge against anyone else here? A good many of you seem
to have your clothes torn and disarranged."

"Some fellows attempted to rescue Emerson and Flash while we were
searching them; for what reason we can all pretty well imagine."

"I shall require the names in the morning of your assailants," the
constable said; "it looks very much as if they were confederates of the
two prisoners. Now, gentlemen, you can all leave. This house is
closed, and will not be opened again until this affair is thoroughly
investigated."

In five minutes the house was deserted.

"How can I thank you, Mr. Thorndyke?" Cotter, who was one of those who
had seized Flash's arm, diverted his aim and searched him, said, when
they got outside the house. "You have saved my life. It did not seem
possible to me that you could succeed in showing that I was being
cheated, and I had firmly resolved that, instead of allowing you to
suffer loss, I would tomorrow morning make a clean breast of the whole
affair to my father, as I had intended to have done this morning."

"If I might advise you, Mr. Cotter, I should say, carry out your
intention as far as making a clean breast of it is concerned. Happily,
you are free from debt, as those IOUs are worthless, for they were
obtained from you by cheating, therefore you have no demand to make upon
his purse. The police will, I have no doubt, endeavor to keep this thing
quiet, but your name may come out, and it would be far better that
your father should hear this story from you than elsewhere; and your
assurance that you will never touch a card again, and the heavy lesson
that you have had, will doubtless induce him to look at t