r all
evening.

Those who remained in the hall began to laugh and applaud. She danced a
moment in response to it, and then, pausing, suddenly bowed low and
shook her head definitely. Then she wrapped her cloak closely about her,
turning up its wide, fur-lined collar, and, linking her arm with
Hughie's, came down the room with him still taking those irrepressible
little steps. Just as she reached the door she whisked a handkerchief
from a pocket in her cloak and held it to her nose. A waft of exquisite
perfume filled the air, but the eyes of the two deputies who guarded the
door were fixed with an almost stunned astonishment upon the jewels
which covered her bare hands.

The sheriff had given orders that the Pearl and Hughie, Mrs. Thomas and
Mrs. Nitschkan were to be allowed to pass, were, in fact, to be got out
of the hall just as quickly as possible; but these orders had not been
clearly understood and the two deputies at the door halted Pearl, Hughie
and Mrs. Thomas, who was close to them.

Before either Pearl or Hughie could protest Seagreave, who had been
about ten feet behind them, was at their side. "Let them pass," he said.
"Those are your orders."

"I hadn't heard it," said the other man, "and I'm not taking my orders
from you."

But the words were scarcely out of his mouth before Seagreave's arm,
that "left" which had floored many an opponent in the old days of his
middle-weight championship, shot out in a hook, lightning-like, to the
right side of the jaw of the nearest deputy. The man reeled under that
impact and went crashing over against his companion, bringing them both
in a heap to the floor. At the same moment Pearl, grasping Hughie's arm,
pulled him about the two who lay half stunned and was out of the door
like a flash.

Mrs. Thomas, who had been taken into the confidence of the group only so
far as to have it impressed upon her that she uttered the word Jose at
her peril, and that the bandit's name was now Pedro, had not been quick
enough to follow Pearl and Hugh in their flight through the door and now
stood helplessly gazing about her, confused, almost dazed, by the whole
situation.

The sheriff, whose attention had meanwhile been occupied by Mrs.
Nitschkan, who was creating a lusty disturbance in the middle of the
floor, ran forward, shouting orders. "Let 'em go, I tell you!" to those
who would have pursued the Pearl. "Where's your heads? I told you that
this hall had got to be cleared, a