eir stake-money. I
further pledged Mr. Doulton, Mr. Papwith, and Burns not to take any
legal action. I rather suspect that in this I was technically
conspiring to defeat the ends of justice."

"But weren't you afraid they'd do a double cross?" asked Burns.

"They heard me instruct one of my assistants that unless I were back
by nine o'clock that evening, the notes I had written and addressed
were to be delivered. _Incidentally the inspector was present,
unofficially of course._"

"You oughter been in the ring with a head like that," said Alf Pond
sorrowfully.

"We found Burns fairly comfortable in the wine-cellar of an empty
house near Ripley. They had left him food and water and beer. In all
probability on awakening to-morrow morning, had we not found him, he
would have discovered the door unlocked and himself no longer a
prisoner." Malcolm Sage paused with the air of one who has told his
story.

"But why did you keep Papwith and me at Stainton until late this
afternoon?" enquired Mr. Doulton.

"In the first instance, to be in charge and to see that Burns's
disappearance was kept secret. It was obvious that every endeavour
would be made to put a lot of money on Jefferson before the fact
became known. This would lead to rumour, and later to enquiry.
Subsequently I decided that you were both better out of London, as
you would have been interviewed and bound to give something away, in
spite of the utmost caution."

"And now, Mr. Sage," said Mr. Doulton, "who are the scroundrels?"

"I have promised not to give their names," was the quiet reply.

"Not give their names?" cried several of his hearers in unison.

Malcolm Sage then proceeded to explain that unless the gang had seen
a loop-hole of escape they would not have thrown up the sponge. Had
exposure been inevitable in any case, they would have brazened it
out, knowing that, whatever happened to themselves, Burns could not
appear at the Olympia. The knowledge that their identity would not
be divulged tempted them to risk the loss of their money. "Apart from
this," he added, "the details I was able to give seemed to convince
them that they had either been watched or given away."

"You must remember that they have lost enormous sums of money,"
Malcolm Sage went on, "and there will be another 1,000 pounds for St.
Timothy's Hospital. It was further understood that, if I could
discover anyone of them had inspired a covering bet, I was released
from my promise.