as the fact that the young rajah in token
of his gratitude had presented Deemer with a collection of jewels of
almost priceless worth. We resumed our journey; Deemer, who was a man in
very moderate circumstances, and who had probably never had any means
in his life before, went to New York, presumably to have his first real
holiday, and, as it turned out, to dispose of the stones, or at least
a portion of them. When we reached the coast we received two advices
containing very ill news. The first was an urgent message to return
instantly to India on account of the old rajah's serious illness; the
second was to the effect that Deemer had been murdered by a woman in New
York, and that the jewels had been stolen."

Again the Adventurer paused, and, eying Danglar, smiled--not pleasantly.

"I will not attempt to explain to you," he went on, "the young rajah's
feelings when he heard that the gift he had given Deemer in return for
his own life had cost Deemer his. Nor will I attempt to explain the
racial characteristics of the people of whom the young rajah was
one, and who do not lightly forget or forgive. But an eye for an eye,
Danglar--you will understand that. If it cost all he had, there should
be justice. He could not stay himself; and so I stayed-because he made
me swear I would, and because he made me swear that I would never allow
the chase to lag until the murderers were found.

"And so I came East again. I remembered you, Danglar--that on several
occasions when I had come upon Deemer unawares, you, sometimes
accompanied by a woman, and sometimes not, had been lurking in the
background. I went to Cloran, the house detective at the hotel here in
New York where Deemer was murdered. He described the woman. She was the
same woman that had been with you. I went to the authorities and showed
my credentials, with which the young rajah had seen to it I was supplied
from very high sources indeed. I did not wish to interfere with the
authorities in their handling of the case; but, on the other hand, I had
no wish to sit down idly and watch them, and it was necessary therefore
that I should protect myself in anything I did. I also made myself
known to one of New York's assistant district attorneys, who was an old
friend of my father's. And then, Danglar, I started out after you.

"I discovered you after about a month; then I wormed myself into your
gang as the Pug. That took about a year. I was almost another year with
you as