the ring and
the stone very carefully through a powerful glass.

"Seems all right," he said, "and although I have been greened in my
time, I don't make many mistakes nowadays. What do you say, Adams? Must
have it back? A sacred trust! Only lent to you! All right, take it by
all means. _I_ don't want the thing. Well, it is a risky job, and if any
one else had proposed it to me, I'd have told him to go to--Mur. But,
Adams, my boy, you saved my life once, and never sent in a bill, because
I was hard up, and I haven't forgotten that. Also things are pretty hot
for me here just now over a certain controversy of which I suppose
you haven't heard in Central Africa. I think I'll go. What do you say,
Oliver?"

"Oh!" said Captain Orme, waking up from a reverie, "if you are
satisfied, I am. It doesn't matter to me where I go."

CHAPTER II

THE ADVICE OF SERGEANT QUICK

At this moment a fearful hubbub arose without. The front door slammed,
a cab drove off furiously, a policeman's whistle blew, heavy feet
were heard trampling; then came an invocation of "In the King's name,"
answered by "Yes, and the Queen's, and the rest of the Royal Family's,
and if you want it, take it, you chuckle-headed, flat-footed,
pot-bellied Peelers."

Then followed tumult indescribable as of heavy men and things rolling
down the stairs, with cries of fear and indignation.

"What the dickens is that?" asked Higgs.

"The voice sounded like that of Samuel--I mean Sergeant Quick," answered
Captain Orme with evident alarm; "what can he be after? Oh, I know,
it is something to do with that infernal mummy you unwrapped this
afternoon, and asked him to bring round after dinner."

Just then the door burst open, and a tall, soldier-like form stalked in,
carrying in his arms a corpse wrapped in a sheet, which he laid upon the
table among the wine glasses.

"I'm sorry, Captain," he said, addressing Orme, "but I've lost the head
of the departed. I think it is at the bottom of the stairs with the
police. Had nothing else to defend myself with, sir, against their
unwarranted attacks, so brought the body to the present and charged,
thinking it very stiff and strong, but regret to say neck snapped, and
that deceased's head is now under arrest."

As Sergeant Quick finished speaking, the door opened again, and through
it appeared two very flurried and dishevelled policemen, one of whom
held, as far as possible from his person, the grizzly head of a mummy b