features. But the barrister, assisted by the Italian
pilot--whose after-life was cheered by his ability to relate the details
of this Homeric fight--pulled the young man from off his insensible foe.

Talbot regained his feet. Panting with exertion, he glared down at the
prostrate form, but Brett, being practical-minded, knelt by the
Frenchman's side, tore open his shirt, and unfastened the precious belt.

"At last!" he murmured.

Peering into one of the pockets, which by the way of its bulging he
thought would contain the "Imperial diamond," he looked up at Talbot
with the words--

"Now, Jack, we are even with him."

It was the first time he had addressed Talbot by his familiar and
Christian name. The very sound brought back the other man to a conscious
state of his surroundings, and in the same instant a great weakness came
over him, for the terrible exertions of the past few minutes had utterly
exhausted him.

"I cannot even thank you, for I am done up. But I owe it all to you, old
man. If it had not been for you we should never have found him."

Brett's grave face wrinkled in a kindly smile.

"I think," he said, "we are even on that score. If you had not followed
this rascal he might have escaped us at the finish, and my pride would
never have recovered from the shock. However, go and sit down for a
minute or two and you will soon pull yourself together again. I wish to
goodness we had some brandy. A drop would do you good, and our prostrate
friend here would be none the worse for a reviver."

The Italian pilot caught the word "brandy." Being a sailor he was equal
to all emergencies. He produced a small flask with a magnificent air.

"Behold!" he declared. "It is the best. It is contraband!"

Brett forced his companion to swallow some of the liquor; then he gently
raised Dubois' head and managed to pour a few drops into his mouth.

The Frenchman regained consciousness. Awakening with a start to the
realities of existence, he endeavoured to rise, but sank back with a
groan, for he had striven to support himself on his broken arm.

"Be good enough to remain quite still, M. Dubois," said Brett
soothingly. "You have reached the end of your rope, and we do not even
need to tie you."

With the aid of some handkerchiefs and a couple of saplings cut by the
Italian he managed roughly to bind the fractured limb. Then he assisted
Dubois to his feet.

"Come," he said, "we are regretfully compelled to bring you