the consul the cablegram.

"Understand that I am doing this under protest," he said. "Your conduct
in invading my office with armed men shall be reported."

"I shall welcome any investigation," the consul replied, with a smile,
"because I want to know something of your motives in doing what you have
done to-night. You know very well that the cablegram is of no
importance to any person except the one to whom it is addressed. I can
read the code, it is true, but you doubtless overlooked the fact that I
have received such dispatches here. So, let us look at the matter in a
reasonable light. What inducements were offered you to keep the
cablegram away from this young man? Speak up!"

"You are insulting"' gasped the assistant manager.

"Come down to cases!" commanded the consul.

"I don't understand your Bowery slang."

"How much money was offered you to hold this message?"

There was no answer, but the operator glanced slyly in the direction of
the consul with a frightened look in his eyes.

"Were you to withhold the message altogether, or were you merely to
delay this young man?"

"You are insulting!" repeated the other.

"Who bribed you?" came the next question, snapped out like the crack of
a lash.

"You have the message," the assistant manager said. "Get out."

"Only for the marines you'd put me out!" laughed the consul.

"Indeed I would!"

Hans made a threatening gesture toward the fellow and he hastened to the
protection of the counter.

"My office is only a short distance away," said the consul, turning to
Ned. "We may as well go there and size this extraordinary situation up.
I hardly know what to make of it."

"There is one thing you, perhaps, do not understand," Ned said, "and
that is that Captain Martin, in charge of this squad, has been taken
into custody by order of the detective Hans knocked out a moment ago."

The consul's face turned red with anger. He seized the assistant
manager by the shoulder and shook him, over the counter, as a dog shakes
a rat.

"Where is he?" he demanded. "Tell your hirelings to bring him here, not
soon, but now."

"He assaulted me!" complained the manager.

"Produce him! One, two, three. At the third word he comes!"

Obeying a motion from the frightened man, a native opened a door back of
the counter and Captain Martin was pushed out into the room, smiling and
evidently enjoying the situation.

"I could have butted out at any moment," he said,