of listening, as usual,
to his own quiet explanations of the manner in which the case had been
brought to a successful issue. So I took my hat and went.

"Best let me go in front," whispered the "nark." "You bein' a toff might
be noticed." It was a reasonable precaution, and I followed him
accordingly.

We went a little way down Barbican, and presently, taking a very narrow
turning, plunged into a cluster of alleys, through which, however, I
could plainly perceive that our way lay in the direction of the back of
the house in Norbury Row. At length my guide stopped at what seemed a
stable yard, pushed open a wicket gate, and went in, keeping the gate
open for me to follow.

It was, indeed, a stable yard, littered with much straw, which the
"nark" carefully picked to walk on as noiselessly as possible, motioning
me to do the same. It was a small enough yard, and dark, and when my
guide very carefully opened the door of a stable I saw that that was
darker still.

He pushed the door wide so as to let a little light fall on another door
which I now perceived in the brick wall which formed the side of the
stable. After listening intently for a moment at this door, the guide
stepped back and favoured me with another puff of rum and a whisper.
"There's no light in that there passage," he said, "an' we'd better not
strike one. I'll catch hold of your hand."

He pulled the stable door to, and took me by the hand. I heard the inner
door open quietly, and we stepped cautiously forward. We had gone some
five or six yards in the darkness when I felt something cold touch the
wrist of the hand by which I was being led. There was a loud click, my
hand was dropped, and I felt my wrist held fast, while I could hear my
late guide shuffling away in the darkness.

I could not guess whether to cry out or remain quiet. I called after the
man in a loud whisper, but got no answer. I used my other hand to feel
at my right wrist, and found that it was clipped in one of a pair of
handcuffs, the other being locked in a staple in the wall. I tugged my
hardest to loosen this staple, but it held firm. The thing had been so
sudden and stealthy that I scarce had time to realise that I was in
serious danger, and that, doubtless, Plummer had preceded me, when a
light appeared at an angle ahead. It turned the corner, and I perceived,
coming toward me, carrying a lamp, the pale man of the eyes, whom I had
encountered not an hour before--in a word, Ma