seems; but
I remember well that I must have struck Mr Dempster, and that as he
came at me Esau seized and overturned the great desk right in his way,
sending him down again, while the next moment my fellow-clerk was
holding open the door, shouting to me to come.

I caught down my hat and Esau's, and made for the door, which Esau
dragged to in our employer's face, and the next minute we were tearing
up the lane.

"Stop them! stop thief!" was shouted hoarsely, and in our excitement we
looked back to see our enemy in pursuit, while, as we turned again to
run, we found ourselves face to face with a burly City policeman, who
caught each of us by an arm.

CHAPTER FIVE.

A MISERABLE NIGHT.

"Hah! The scoundrels!" panted Dempster, as he came up, flushed,
bareheaded, his glossy coat covered with dust, and a great dark weal
growing darker moment by moment on his forehead, while for the first
time I became aware of the fact that my right ear was cut and bleeding
freely.

"What is it, sir?" said the policeman; and I shivered slightly as I felt
his grip tighten on my arm.

"Take them. I give them in charge," panted Mr Dempster, hoarse with
rage--"robbery and assault."

"What?" shouted Esau, furiously.

"It is not true!" I cried wildly.

"Take them," shouted Mr Dempster. "I'll follow in a cab. Take them."

"You'll have to charge them, sir," said the constable.

"Yes. I know. I must make myself decent first."

"You can do that afterwards, sir. Better all get in a cab at once
before there's a crowd."

The cool matter-of-fact policeman was master of the situation, and,
summoning a cab, he seemed to pack us all in, and followed to unpack us
again a few minutes later, both Esau and I with the spirit evaporating
fast, and feeling soft and limp, full of pain too, as we were ushered
into the presence of a big, stern-looking inspector, who prepared to
fill up a form.

All that passed is very misty now; but I remember Mr Dempster, as he
glared at us, telling the inspector that he had had cause to complain
about our conduct, and that we had, evidently after planning it, made a
sudden attack upon him, and beaten him savagely with a stick.

"But you said robbery, sir," the policeman suggested.

"Ah!--I will not press that," cried Mr Dempster. "I don't want to
quite ruin the boys. I proceed against them for assault."

I looked wildly at Esau for him to speak out, and he was looking at me
as if half stupefied