d the burglar struggling
together. Falconer was losing ground every moment, and as Drake was
nearly upon them, Ted got his opponent under him; but Falconer still
clung to him, and Ted could not get free from him. As he shot a glance
at Drake he ground his teeth.

"Let me go, you fool!" he hissed. "Let me----"

He got one arm free, the glimmer of steel flashed in the dim light as he
struck downward, and Falconer with a sharp groan loosed his hold.

Ted was clear of him in an instant and sprang for the gate; but as he
opened it Drake was upon him. Ted was spent with his struggle with
Falconer; he had dropped his revolver; Drake had seized the arm which
held the knife--seized it in a grip like that of a vise.

"Parson! Quick!" cried Ted. The dogcart drove up to the gate, and the
Parson was about to spring to the aid of his mate, when another figure
came running up. It was Dick.

"Why, what on earth's the matter?" he cried.

At the sound of his voice, the Parson, counting his foes with a quick
eye, leaped into the cart and drove away at a gallop. Ted cursed at the
sound of the retreating cart and struck out wildly, but Drake had pinned
him against the gate.

"Knock that knife out of his hand!" he said sharply, and Dick did so. In
another moment the burglar was on his back in the road with Drake's knee
on his chest.

"That will do!" he panted. "I give in! It's a fair cap! But if that
white-livered hound had stood by me, I'd have beaten the lot of you! As
it is, I've given as good as I've got, I fancy!" and he nodded
tauntingly as he glanced to where Dick knelt beside Falconer.

Drake tore off the mask, and Ted shrugged his shoulders.

"You can take your knee off my chest, my lord," he said; "you're a tidy
weight. Oh, I'm not going to try to escape. I know when I'm done. But it
was a near thing."

Sparling and a couple of grooms with lanterns came running toward them,
and Drake rose.

"Look to him," he said quietly. "He is not armed."

Ted took the cases from his pockets and flung them down as the men
surrounded him; then he drew out a cigarette case, and, with a cockney
drawl, said:

"Can one of you oblige me with a light?"

Sparling knocked the cigarette out of his hand, and one of the grooms
growled:

"Shall I give him one over the head, for his cheek, Mr. Sparling?"

"Yes; that's about all you flunkeys can do; hit a man when he's down,"
said Ted. "But you needn't trouble. Here comes the peelers."