id he slowly, "and it was for this you attacked an unarmed and
innocent man?"

"Innocent," spluttered Jelder, "this is too thick! There lie the
stones, who took them if he didn't?"

"I did," said the professor.

CHAPTER V

There was silence for a few seconds, except for a universal gasp of
wonder, which as far as Dick was concerned was mingled with relief and
admiration.

For here was this wonderful old professor, who had already been a
surprise packet to Dick in several ways, weighing in with a most
finished and artistic lie, just in the nick of time to save him when
everything appeared lost!

"You!" cried Gilderman, as the professor stood, still holding Brandt's
revolver, and smiling blandly at the group of mauled and discomfited
scoundrels; "You?"

"Yes!" he thundered, his jaw setting sternly again. "I, I, who you
thought to dupe. I, who have seen through your perfidious plan from the
first ('Oh, oh!' thought Dick, 'that's for the benefit of the police.')
I, who you would have made the scapegoat for your villainy at the cost
of my name and honor I took the stones.

"Come, Herr wachtmeister, take your revolver and listen. There is no
need for further concealment. I drugged these men last night, and took
the stones foreseeing clearly that these scoundrels would quarrel when
the loss was discovered and they realized that they could salt no more
nor take back the lying 'proof' they relied upon for their scheme. And
it fell out as I had believed though I did not foresee that murder
would be done before I could prevent it. . . . And I gave them to the
Herr Sydney to guard for me for he was the only honest man among this
crowd of scoundrels and I am an old and feeble man!"

The big wachtmeister rubbed his throttled throat feelingly, and grunted
dissent, whilst the accused and desperate quartette broke into angry
protestations.

"Deny it as you like," said the professor, "Grosman swore it with his
dying breath, Junes swore it after he had shot him, Sydney saw the
salting with his own eyes."

"The word of a murderer, a delirious man, and a thief against that of
four gentlemen!" Gilderman exclaimed, bluffing desperately for the
benefit of the wachtmeister and Brietmann; who had pulled themselves
together, and stood looking with lowering brows from one to the other.

"Gentlemen! Lieber Gott! Then gentlemen, if you still persist in your
innocence, it is but of the simplest thing for you to prove it. The