elix Page's murder, while his companions were all in
the second story, Chaya had remained on guard below. He had watched
Page following Burke up-stairs, after the robbery, but could not warn
the thief without alarming the pursuer.

After the struggle began in the hall, Chaya harkened to it a while,
then dashed up the rear stairs to take a hand, in case the jewel was to
be snatched from his companions at the very moment of victory. He
passed through the bath room during the brief period Burke was in his
own room informing Tshen of the state of affairs, entered the hall,
where, by the dim light of the solitary candle, the two men were locked
in combat. The struggle was so furious that his presence was not
noticed. He proceeded to the _north-east_ angle of the balustrade,
where he crouched around the corner and followed through the balusters
the uncertain issues of the fight.

He watched the two chief actors so intently, in fact, that he failed to
perceive Burke snatch up the supposed ruby from the floor; but he did
see Page wrest the leather case from Fluette.

Now was the time for him to act. He was armed with a black-jack--a
ball of lead wrapped in leather and with a short, flexible leather
handle--and just as Fluette grabbed up the iron candle-stick he plunged
forward.

At this instant the light was extinguished, and he received the full
weight of a human body as it staggered backward. He supposed it to be
Page's. He struck out blindly with his own cruel weapon, at the same
time shoving the body away from him. He felt his bludgeon crush upon
his victim's head; and then he was himself felled to the floor with a
tremendous blow that blotted out everything else for him. The base of
the candlestick had found a mark wholly unsuspected by any one.

He knew afterwards that his companions had carried him down the rear
stairs and away; that they tried to doctor him until they grew alarmed
at the seriousness of his injuries; whereupon they deserted him in his
room, after notifying the landlord, who had in turn notified the
hospital authorities. Chaya was well supplied with funds, so there had
been no difficulty on that score.

And thus was my deduction proved to be correct. Felix Page's _left_
side had been toward the balustrade at the instant Fluette snatched up
the candle-stick; on the balustrade was a deep indentation where the
base of the improvised weapon had impinged, after glancing; and the
fatal blow