verdict
upon the one on which he stands charged; in fact, gentlemen, the
criminal, if he were intelligent, would score all the time."

"That's true enough, sir," said Cole, of the Record Office. "I've never
yet met a criminal who wasn't a fool."

"And you never will till you meet Colonel Boundary," said Sir Stanley
with a good-natured smile, "and the reason you do not meet him is
because he is not a fool. But, gentlemen, every criminal has one weak
spot, and sooner or later he exposes the chink in his armour to the
sword of justice--if you do not mind so theatrical an illustration.
Here, again, I do not think that Boundary will make any such exposure.
One of you gentlemen has again brought up the question as to the
prosecution of the Boundary Gang, and particularly the colonel himself.
Well, I am all in favour of it, though I doubt whether the Home
Secretary or the Public Prosecutor would agree with my point of view. We
have a great deal of evidence, but not sufficient evidence to convict.
We know this man is a blackmailer and that he engages in terrorising his
unfortunate victims, but the mere fact that we know is not sufficient.
We need the evidence, and that evidence we have not got. And that is
where our mysterious Jack o' Judgment is going to score. He knows, and
it is sufficient for him that he _does_ know. He calls for no
corroborative evidence, but convicts and executes his judgment without
recourse to the law books. I do not think that the official police will
ever capture Boundary, and if it is left to them, he will die sanctified
by old age and ten years of comfortable repentance. He will probably end
his life in a cathedral town, and may indeed become a member of the town
council--hullo, King, what is the matter?"

Stafford King had rushed in. He was dusty and hot of face, and there was
a light of excitement in his eyes.

"She's found, sir, she's found!"

"She's found?" Sir Stanley frowned. "To whom are you referring? Miss
White?"

Stafford could only nod.

With a gesture the commissioner dismissed the conference. Then:

"Where was she found?" he asked.

"In her own flat, sir. That is the amazing thing about it."

"What! Did she come back herself?"

Stafford shook his head.

"It is an astonishing story, sir. She was, of course, detained and held
prisoner somewhere, and last night--she will not give me any
details--she was carried from the house where she had been kept
prisoner. She had an aw