on here?" he demanded. Arima stopped in his tracks.

To Orme, at this moment, came the memory of the girl's desire to avoid
publicity. "Nothing wrong," he said.

The policeman stared. "I've been watchin' you from over there," he said.
"It looks like nothin' wrong, with men fighting all over the ground."

"Just a little trial of strength," explained Orme.

"Trial of strength, hey?"

"Well," admitted Orme, "this man"--pointing to Arima--"wanted something
that I had. It's not a matter for the police."

"Oh, it ain't? Somebody's been hurt." He gestured with his club toward
the shadows where the three injured men were slowly coming back to their
senses.

"Not seriously," said Orme.

"We'll see about that later," replied the policeman decidedly.

Orme tried to carry the affair off boldly. Every moment of delay now
threatened defeat for him. "There is nothing serious," he said. "They
have done me no real harm. But the young lady and I shall be obliged to
you, if you will keep these Japanese here until we can get away. They
attacked us, but I don't wish to make a complaint against them."

The policeman showed new interest. He glanced at Arima. "Japanese!" he
exclaimed. "There was one slugged on the campus last night. I guess
you'll all have to come along with me."

"Nonsense!" protested Orme. "Just because somebody hit a Japanese over
the head last night----"

"Ah, you know about that, do you? No"--as Orme made a movement--"stand
where you are." He drew his revolver.

During this colloquy, Arima had edged nearer and nearer to the papers.
Orme's sudden step was involuntary; it was due to the fact that he had
seen Arima stoop swiftly and pick up the papers and thrust them into his
pocket.

"Keep quiet," continued the policeman. "And you, there"--he nodded toward
Arima--"come here."

Arima hesitated, but the muzzle of the revolver turned toward him, and he
came and stood a few feet away.

"There's somethin' mighty funny about this," continued the policeman.
"We'll just get into one of these cars and go to the station."

"This man and me?" asked Orme. He had visions of no great difficulty in
satisfying the questions of the local justice, but he knew that an arrest
would mean delay, perhaps of hours. And Arima had the papers.

"I mean that man, and you, and the woman. I'll send someone for the
others. If you're the fellow that did the sluggin' on the campus last
night, you won't get away from me again."

"Wha