s he saw, looking down
at him, with her hair flying loose, her cheeks white, and her eyes wild
with excitement, Nora Burke.

"What has happened? What does it mean?" she said slowly. "Patsy, get a
knife and--no, let me."

She reached and caught hold of the cord tied round Durham's legs.

"Get a knife, Patsy. It is too tight to untie."

Obedient, the old man brought her the table-knife Durham had used at his
supper, and with it she cut through some of the cords.

"Can you move now? Oh, it's a gag they put on you!" she exclaimed, as
she leaned over him and cut the thong which held the muffler so
securely across his mouth.

"Free my arm, and give me the knife," he said, as soon as he could
speak. "I will cut quicker."

She placed the knife in his hand when she had slipped the cord twined
round his arm. He could scarcely close his fingers on it, so stiff had
they become, and he fumbled clumsily before he had cut himself free.
Then he rose to his feet and stood unsteadily.

Patsy had vanished; Mrs. Burke watched him from the shadow at the side
of the window.

"You saw them?" he exclaimed. "It was you who fired?"

Before she could answer his eye caught sight of something white lying by
the chair. He stooped and picked it up. It was what had been used to
muffle his cries, and he saw it was a handkerchief.

Instinctively he opened it out, stepped into the full glare of the light
and ran his eyes along the edge. At one corner a name, boldly written,
showed clear.

"Charles N. Eustace."

He could not repress an exclamation as he read the name.

"What is it?" she cried, as she came over to him.

She gripped his arm as she also read the name.

"Eustace!" she cried. "Eustace--then it was he who----"

She stopped abruptly, staring at him.

"Did you recognise him?" he asked.

"It was dark--I only saw them against the sky. They had their backs to
me as they rode off. I mean it was Eustace who robbed the bank."

"When did you come to that conclusion?"

"I said so at first--I told Brennan. Why did you not arrest him? I told
Brennan to go in and arrest him when I left, before you arrived."

"Brennan went to do so, Mrs. Burke."

"Then--how could Eustace be here to-night if Brennan arrested him?"

"Brennan did not arrest him. By the time he reached the dining-room at
the bank it was empty. Eustace had disappeared. This handkerchief is the
first token of him that has come to light since you saw him."

"Disappea