s bad enough. There'll be no
cricket to-day."

Another hour, and most of us were on our way to catch the early train;
between us we filled a compartment almost to suffocation. And still we
talked all together of the night's event; and still I was a little hero
in my way, for having kept my hold of the one ruffian who had been
taken; and my gratification was subtle and intense. Raffles watched me
under lowered lids. Not a word had we had together; not a word did we
have until we had left the others at Paddington, and were skimming
through the streets in a hansom with noiseless tires and a tinkling
bell.

"Well, Bunny," said Raffles, "so the professors have it, eh?"

"Yes," said I. "And I'm jolly glad!"

"That poor Mackenzie has a ball in his chest?"

"That you and I have been on the decent side for once."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"You're hopeless, Bunny, quite hopeless! I take it you wouldn't have
refused your share if the boodle had fallen to us? Yet you positively
enjoy coming off second best--for the second time running! I confess,
however, that the professors' methods were full of interest to me. I,
for one, have probably gained as much in experience as I have lost in
other things. That lowering the jewel-case out of the window was a
very simple and effective expedient; two of them had been waiting below
for it for hours."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I saw them from my own window, which was just above the dear old
lady's. I was fretting for that necklace in particular, when I went up
to turn in for our last night--and I happened to look out of my window.
In point of fact, I wanted to see whether the one below was open, and
whether there was the slightest chance of working the oracle with my
sheet for a rope. Of course I took the precaution of turning my light
off first, and it was a lucky thing I did. I saw the pros. right down
below, and they never saw me. I saw a little tiny luminous disk just
for an instant, and then again for an instant a few minutes later. Of
course I knew what it was, for I have my own watch-dial daubed with
luminous paint; it makes a lantern of sorts when you can get no better.
But these fellows were not using theirs as a lantern. They were under
the old lady's window. They were watching the time. The whole thing
was arranged with their accomplice inside. Set a thief to catch a
thief: in a minute I had guessed what the whole thing proved to be."

"And you