is it
for me to say which is the worthier disciple. Perhaps, however, now
that your friend is handcuffed in mid-air, and you yourself are at my
mercy, you will concede me some little temporary advantage?"

And his face split in another grin from the cropped moustache downward,
as I saw no longer by candlelight but by a flash of lightning which
tore the sky in two before Raffles could reply.

"You have the bulge at present," admitted Raffles; "but you have still
to lay hands upon your, or our, ill-gotten goods. To shoot me is not
necessarily to do so; to bring either one of us to a violent end is
only to court a yet more violent and infinitely more disgraceful one
for yourself. Family considerations alone should rule that risk out of
your game. Now, an hour or two ago, when the exact opposite--"

The remainder of Raffles's speech was drowned from my ears by the
belated crash of thunder which the lightning had foretold. So loud,
however, was the crash when it came, that the storm was evidently
approaching us at a high velocity; yet as the last echo rumbled away, I
heard Raffles talking as though he had never stopped.

"You offered us a share," he was saying; "unless you mean to murder us
both in cold blood, it will be worth your while to repeat that offer.
We should be dangerous enemies; you had far better make the best of us
as friends."

"Lead the way down to your flat," said Lord Ernest, with a flourish of
his service revolver, "and perhaps we may talk about it. It is for me
to make the terms, I imagine, and in the first place I am not going to
get wet to the skin up here."

The rain was beginning in great drops, even as he spoke, and by a
second flash of lightning I saw Raffles pointing to me.

"But what about my friend?" said he.

And then came the second peal.

"Oh, HE'S all right," the great brute replied; "do him good! You don't
catch me letting myself in for two to one!"

"You will find it equally difficult," rejoined Raffles, "to induce me
to leave my friend to the mercy of a night like this. He has not
recovered from the blow you struck him in your own rooms. I am not
such a fool as to blame you for that, but you are a worse sportsman
than I take you for if you think of leaving him where he is. If he
stays, however, so do I."

And, just as it ceased, Raffles's voice seemed distinctly nearer to me;
but in the darkness and the rain, which was now as heavy as hail, I
could see nothing cl