at Lascar; I owe him a heavy debt."

As Mark made his way home he thought a good deal about the colored
sailor. If the man had been in the den the ruffians would hardly have
ventured to have attacked him in the presence of a stranger. Of course,
he might have been passing, and have seen the fray through the window,
but in that case he would run to the nearest constable. How could he
know anything about his habits, and why should he have gone to Gibbons
for assistance? That, and the fact that he had so often observed
Lascars in the places he had gone to, certainly looked as if he had been
watched, and if so, it could only be connected with those diamonds. It
was a curious thing altogether.

The next morning he went early to Bow Street. As soon as the chief came
he related the events of the previous evening, and told him that it was
Flash and Emerson who had denounced him.

"I know the place," the officer said. "It is one of the worst thieves'
dens in London. However, it is just as well you decided not to take any
steps. Of course, all the fellows would have sworn that they did not
intend to do any harm, but that Flash had put them up to frightening
you, and I doubt whether any jury would have convicted. As to the other
men, we know that they are all thieves, and some of them worse; but the
mere fact that they proposed to you to join in their crimes won't do,
as no actual crime was committed. However, I shall have the gang closely
watched, and, at any rate, you had better leave Westminster alone;
someone else must take up the work of looking for that man you were
on the watch for. Anyhow, you had best take a week's rest; there is
no doubt you have had a very narrow escape. It is strange about that
Lascar; he might not have cared for going in to take part in the fray,
but you would have thought that he would have waited outside to get a
reward for bringing those men to your rescue."

As Mark did not care to tell about the diamonds till the time came for
getting them, he made no reply, beyond expressing an agreement with the
chief's surprise at the man not having remained to the end of the fray.
On leaving Bow Street he went up to Ingleston's. The men who had rescued
him the night before were gathered there; and he presented each of them
with a check for twenty-five guineas.

"I know very well," he said, "that you had no thought of reward when you
hurried down to save me, but that is no reason why I should not show my