ll as it came round, and was whirled
upwards; with the spring of another panther, Andrew leapt on to the next
sail and was whirled after him. At that moment the wind dropped, and the
combatants were suspended in mid-air.

It was upon this terrible scene that Richard arrived. Already a crowd was
collecting; and, though at present it did not seem greatly alarmed,
feeling convinced that it was only assisting at another cinematograph
rehearsal, its suspicions might at any moment be aroused. With a shout
he dashed into the mill. Seeing him coming Jasper dropped his revolver
and slid down the sail into the window. In a moment he reappeared at the
door of the mill with Hyacinth under his arm. "Stop him!" cried Richard
from underneath a sack of flour. It was no good. Jasper had leapt with
his fair burden upon the back of his mustang and was gone....

The usual pursuit followed.

IV

It was the gala night at the Royal Circus. Ricardo Harringtoni, the
wonderful new acrobat of whom everybody was talking, stood high above
the crowd on his platform. His marvellous performance on the swinging
horizontal bar was about to begin. Richard Harrington (for it was he) was
troubled. Since he had entered on his new profession--as a disguise from
the police who were still searching for him--he had had a vague suspicion
that the lion-tamer was dogging him. _Who was the lion-tamer?_ Could it
be Jasper?

At that moment the band struck up and Richard leapt lightly on to the
swinging bar. With a movement full of grace he let go of the bar and
swung on to the opposite platform. And then, even as he was in mid-air,
he realized what was happening.

Jasper had let the lion loose!

_It was waiting for him_.

With a gasping cry Ricardo Harringtoni fainted.

V

When he recovered consciousness, Richard found himself on the S.S.
"Boracic," which was forging her way through the--

[MANAGER. _Somewhere where there are sharks_.]

--the Indian Ocean. Mr. Bellingham was bathing his forehead with cooling
drinks.

"Forgive me, my boy," said Mr. Bellingham, "for the wrong I did you. It
was Jasper who stole the compromising documents. He refuses to give them
back unless I let him marry Hyacinth. What can I do?"

"Where is she?" asked Richard.

"Hidden away no one knows where. Find her, get back the documents for me,
and she is yours."

At that moment a terrible cry rang through the ship, "Man overboard!"
Pushing over Mr. Bellingham