crack. He's recovered consciousness but remembers nothing that
happened."

Sir Stanley nodded.

"Very scientifically done," he said admiringly. "This, of course, is the
work of the Boundary Gang."

"I wish----" began Stafford between his teeth.

"Save your breath, my friend," smiled Sir Stanley; "wishing will do
nothing. You could arrest every known member of the gang, and they'd
have twenty alibis ready, and jolly good alibis too. It is years since
the colonel staged an outrage of this kind and his right hand has not
lost its cunning. Look at the organisation of it! The men get into the
house without attracting the attention of your watcher. Then, at the
exact second that the ambulance is due, along comes their 'cosher,'
knocks down the policeman on duty. I don't suppose the thing took more
than ten minutes. Everything was timed. They must have known the hour
the policeman on the beat passed along the street."

Sir Stanley poured out the coffee with his own hands, and relapsed back
into his armchair.

"Why do you think they did it?"

"They were afraid of her, sir," said Stafford.

Sir Stanley laughed softly.

"I can't imagine Boundary being afraid of a girl."

"She was Solly White's daughter," said Stafford.

"Even then I can't understand it," replied the chief, "unless--by jove!
Of course."

He hit his knee a smack and Stafford waited.

"Probably they've got some other game on, but I'll tell you one of the
ideas of taking that girl--it is to bring back Solomon White. He
disappeared, didn't he?"

Stafford nodded.

"That's the game--to bring back Solomon White. And whatever the danger
to himself, he'll be in London to-morrow as soon as this news is known."

Sir Stanley sat thinking, with his chin in his hand, his forehead
wrinkled.

"There's some other reason, too. Now, what is it?"

Stafford guessed, but did not say.

"That girl will take some recovering before harm comes to her," said Sir
Stanley softly, "your only hope is that friend Jack comes to your
rescue."

"Jack o' Judgment?"

Sir Stanley nodded and the other smiled sadly.

"That's unlikely," he said; "indeed, it is impossible. I think I might
as well tell you my own theory as to why she was taken and why Boundary
took so much trouble to capture her."

"What is your theory?" asked Sir Stanley curiously.

"My theory, sir, is that she is Jack o' Judgment," said Stafford King.

"She--Jack o' Judgment?"

Sir Stanley was on his fe