I ask a favour of the court? I
should be obliged if you would call every witness in this matter
here--simultaneously. Set them out in a row, if you will, but call
them _now_.... Thanks."

The judge motioned to the clerk, and through the hushed silence of
the court the dull voice droned out: "Anthony West, William Borkins,
Lester Stark, Gustave Brellier, Miss Antoinette Brellier, Doctor
Bartholomew...." And so on through the whole list. As each name was
called the owner of it came forward and stood in front of the judge's
high desk.

"A most unusual proceeding, sir," said that worthy, again settling the
spectacles upon his nose and frowning down at Cleek; "but, knowing who
you are--"

"I appreciate your Lordship's kindness. Now then, all there?" Cleek
whirled suddenly, and surveyed the strange line. "That's good. And at
least every one of them is _here_. No chance of slipping away now. Now
for it."

He turned back to the table with something of suppressed eagerness in his
movements, and a low murmur of excitement went up round the crowded
courtroom. Rapidly he tore off the wrappings from the long, snake-like
bundle, and held one of the objects up to view.

"Allow me to draw your attention to this," he said, in a loud, clear
voice, every note of which carried to the back of the long room. "This,
as you possibly know, sir, is a piece of electric tubing made for the
express purpose of conveying safely delicate electric wirings that are
used for installations, so that they may not be damaged in transit from
the factory to--the agent who sells them. You would like to see the
wirings, I know--" For answer he whipped open the joints of one of the
tubes, set it upon end, and--from inside the narrow casing came a perfect
shower of golden sovereigns clattering to the floor and across the table
in front of the astonished clerk's eyes.

The judge sat up suddenly and rubbed his eyes.

"God bless my soul!" he began, and then subsided into silence. The
eyes of young Sir Nigel Merriton nearly leapt from their sockets with
astonishment; and every man in the crowd was gaping.

Cleek laughed.

"Rather of a surprise, I must admit; isn't it?" he said, with a slight
shrug of the shoulders. "And no doubt you're wondering what all this has
to do with the case in hand. Well, that'll come along all in good time.
Golden sovereigns, you see, carefully stacked up to fill the little
tubing to its capacity--and thousands of 'em done the s