d the boy for a four-wheeler, and
we shall be off at once." He opened the table-drawer as he spoke, and I
noticed that he slipped his revolver into his pocket. "Yes," said he, in
answer to my glance; "I should say from what we have heard, that we are
dealing with a particularly dangerous gang."

It was almost dark before we found ourselves in Pall Mall, at the rooms
of Mr. Melas. A gentleman had just called for him, and he was gone.

"Can you tell me where?" asked Mycroft Holmes.

"I don't know, sir," answered the woman who had opened the door; "I only
know that he drove away with the gentleman in a carriage."

"Did the gentleman give a name?"

"No, sir."

"He wasn't a tall, handsome, dark young man?"

"Oh, no, sir. He was a little gentleman, with glasses, thin in the face,
but very pleasant in his ways, for he was laughing all the time that he
was talking."

"Come along!" cried Sherlock Holmes, abruptly. "This grows serious,"
he observed, as we drove to Scotland Yard. "These men have got hold of
Melas again. He is a man of no physical courage, as they are well
aware from their experience the other night. This villain was able to
terrorize him the instant that he got into his presence. No doubt
they want his professional services, but, having used him, they may be
inclined to punish him for what they will regard as his treachery."

Our hope was that, by taking train, we might get to Beckenham as soon
or sooner than the carriage. On reaching Scotland Yard, however, it was
more than an hour before we could get Inspector Gregson and comply with
the legal formalities which would enable us to enter the house. It was a
quarter to ten before we reached London Bridge, and half past before the
four of us alighted on the Beckenham platform. A drive of half a mile
brought us to The Myrtles--a large, dark house standing back from the
road in its own grounds. Here we dismissed our cab, and made our way up
the drive together.

"The windows are all dark," remarked the inspector. "The house seems
deserted."

"Our birds are flown and the nest empty," said Holmes.

"Why do you say so?"

"A carriage heavily loaded with luggage has passed out during the last
hour."

The inspector laughed. "I saw the wheel-tracks in the light of the
gate-lamp, but where does the luggage come in?"

"You may have observed the same wheel-tracks going the other way. But
the outward-bound ones were very much deeper--so much so that we can
say