it when he heard me
on the stairs; he had another look at it now; and that gave me my
opportunity. With a presence of mind rare enough in me to excuse the
boast, I flung myself upon the instrument in the corner and hurled it
to the ground with all my might. I was myself sent spinning into the
opposite corner at the same instant. But the instrument happened to be
a standard of the more elaborate pattern, and I flattered myself that I
had put the delicate engine out of action for the day.

Not that my adversary took the trouble to ascertain. He was looking at
me strangely in the electric light, standing intently on his guard, his
right hand in the pocket where he had dropped his revolver. And I--I
hardly knew it--but I caught up the first thing handy for self-defence,
and was brandishing the bottle which Raffles and I had emptied in honor
of my arrival on this fatal scene.

"Be shot if I don't believe you're the man himself!" cried the colonel,
shaking an armed fist in my face. "You young wolf in sheep's clothing.
Been at my wine, of course! Put down that bottle; down with it this
instant, or I'll drill a tunnel through your middle. I thought so!
Begad, sir, you shall pay for this! Don't you give me an excuse for
potting you now, or I'll jump at the chance! My last bottle of
'84--you miserable blackguard--you unutterable beast!"

He had browbeaten me into his own chair in his own corner; he was
standing over me, empty bottle in one hand, revolver in the other, and
murder itself in the purple puckers of his raging face. His language I
will not even pretend to indicate: his skinny throat swelled and
trembled with the monstrous volleys. He could smile at my appearance
in his wife's clothes; he would have had my blood for the last bottle
of his best champagne. His eyes were not hidden now; they needed no
eyeglass to prop them open; large with fury, they started from the
livid mask. I watched nothing else. I could not understand why they
should start out as they did. I did not try. I say I watched nothing
else--until I saw the face of Raffles over the unfortunate officer's
shoulder.

Raffles had crept in unheard while our altercation was at its height,
had watched his opportunity, and stolen on his man unobserved by either
of us. While my own attention was completely engrossed, he had seized
the colonel's pistol-hand and twisted it behind the colonel's back
until his eyes bulged out as I have endeavored to