hat held
it, and the gun flew upward, struck the ceiling, was discharged, and fell
harmlessly to the floor, while the dislocated hand of the major dropped
helplessly to his side. The other wrist was instantly handcuffed, and
within a few minutes both landlord and clerk were helpless prisoners on
their way to the police station. Arriving at that place, they were duly
searched by an officer and their pockets emptied. From the major was
taken a receipt signed by Case for a package of money said to contain
fifty thousand pounds. Then a doctor was found to examine his crippled
hand. There was a compound fracture in addition to the dislocation.

It was now nearly midnight. After the injured hand had been properly
treated and dressed the prisoners were locked up, and the officers
returned to the hotel, where Case handed over to them the package of
money. The two officers examined the notes and, finding them to be as the
major had represented, departed with them in their possession, pending
the proper disposition of the case. When they were gone the two
detectives sat discussing the event that had just occurred.

"But who is the fellow that gave you the lick which so nearly put you to
sleep?" asked Ben.

"O, that is Thurston, who is at the bottom of this whole Montreal
scheme. He came here and learned that McLain had a safe of his own, and
was the custodian of his own money, and knowing that no bank would
receive one of these notes, since they have all the numbers, and that
McLain would in all probability give no particular thought to the matter
of the numbered notes, they both determined to risk buying and paying
with this marked money, hold the property a while, sell out, if necessary
for less than they gave, and, by selling, get hold of money that they
_could_ use."

"Nothing plainer," said Ben, when Nick had finished, "and tomorrow was
the day set for closing the deal and turning the property over to the
new owner."

"This Thurston," said Nick, "is the fellow that slipped away from Job
Worth, taking Job's watch and one hundred pounds of his money."

Just as they were about to go to bed Mr. McLain arrived, and in the
conversation which ensued made it clear that while deploring the
unfortunate developments in the case, he really entertained no regret in
having failed to dispose of the Majestic.

The next day a consultation was held at the Montreal Police Headquarters.
There were present Nick Hanson, Ben Loring, the ch