d man will lay a
hand on us."

"Excellently thought out," Jacob confessed.

"Say, let's cut out this chin music," Hartwell interposed. "Just what
are you going to do about it?"

"I am going to sign the cheque," was the unhesitating reply.

They cut the bonds which secured his right hand. Jacob wrote the
cheque according to their directions, signed it carefully and handed
it over. They passed it to Sybil.

"In as small notes as you can get," Mason enjoined. "Come straight
back here."

She nodded and left the room, with an insolent little glance at Jacob.
The latter leaned back in his chair.

"You see, I am quite amenable," he said. "And now, don't you think
that as I am a very small man, and feeling exceedingly unwell from the
stuff on the handkerchief which that nigger of yours thrust down my
throat, and there are two of you, both big fellows, you could loosen
my cords for me? This is damned uncomfortable, and I hate the
melodramatic appearance of it."

"Will you promise, upon your honour, to make no effort whatever to get
away before Miss Bultiwell's return?" Mason demanded.

"I give you my word that I will do nothing of the sort."

They cut his cords. Jacob staggered to his feet and stretched himself.
A bottle and glasses upon a table at the farther end of the room
attracted his attention.

"Is that whisky?" he asked, in an interested manner.

"Guess we'll find you a Scotch and soda," Hartwell declared. "Don't
you feel too badly about this, Pratt," he went on, as he handed him
the tumbler. "We'd have gone for a much bigger thing with you, but for
Miss Bultiwell. She wouldn't have you bled for more, and she wouldn't
have us take you where I wanted to, down Limehouse way, where we could
have kept you snugly for a week, if necessary."

"Extraordinarily considerate of her," Jacob observed drily, as he
drained the contents of the tumbler.

"I can tell you, sir," Hartwell went on, as he handed over his
cigarette case, "out in the State where I come from, we should think
nothing of a hold-up like this. Why, you haven't a scratch, and you
could afford to put that five thou in the plate at church and not
notice it. Have one more small one for luck."

"I don't mind if I do," Jacob acquiesced.... "You fellows must see
some life."

"Not on this side," Hartwell replied despondently. "We're too near
the edge of your little island all the time, for a job of this sort.
I'm in a bit of trouble over in the States,