the diamond gang,
and the pretended robbery only a move made with some secret design.

On the other hand, Venner might be entirely ignorant of Kilgore's
identity, and without any serious suspicions of Cervera, being himself a
blind victim of these notorious criminals.

"If the latter is the case," reasoned Nick, "the gang may stand in fear
of me, and perhaps are afraid that I shall foil some scheme they have in
operation, or are about to undertake. Then they to-night may have aimed
only to discover the extent and nature of my suspicions.

"If that is the case, plainly it will become me to be a little foxy. I
will see if I can contrive to overhear anything from out yonder."

Bent upon wriggling nearer the closed door revealed by the thread of
light near the floor, Nick quietly turned upon his side and cautiously
worked his way over the carpet.

He had covered scarce a yard, however, when the sharp, metallic ring of
Cervera's voice fell plainly on his ears.

"Look again, one of you," she curtly commanded. "See if that vagabond
has come to himself."

"That's your humble servant!" thought Nick.

He quickly rolled back to his former position on the floor, and prepared
to play the fox.

In a moment the door was thrown open, admitting a flood of light, and a
man strode into the room and dropped to his knee beside the motionless
detective.

"I say!" he harshly growled, shaking Nick roughly by the shoulder.
"Brace up, you dog! Brace up, d'ye hear?"

Nick groaned deeply, then slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, my head--my poor head!" he muttered, like one dazed and in pain.

"Your poor head, eh?" sneered the other. "You're dead lucky to have a
head left you. Pull yourself together, do you hear?"

"Let me be! Where am I?"

"You'll soon find out where you are. Sit up here!"

"What do you say?" cried Venner, from the next room. "Has he come to?"

The man at Nick's side turned his head to reply, and Nick then obtained
a clear view of his profile.

"Humph!" he mentally ejaculated. "Matthew Stall in disguise! One of the
diamond gang, sure enough, and I now know I am on the right track."

"Yes, he's finally coming to time," cried Stall, in reply to Venner. "He
will be all right in a minute."

"Bring him out here," commanded Cervera, sharply. "Get the wretch up,
and bring him out here."

This was precisely what Nick wanted.

Stall immediately bent lower, and released the detective's ankles.

"Get up, you varlet!"