s dearer to you than all this diamond
stuff that I was sent for. I've watched you here for three weeks. You're
after the girl. By God! Hawkes got her now!"

"Do you speak the truth?" said Hardwicke. "If you deceive me, I'll
butcher you! Speak quickly! You've got just one chance to save
transportation for life now!"

The coward thief muttered: "The old man is on his way back from St.
Heliers, and Hawke's got a dozen French fellows to run the girl off and
perhaps 'do up' the old man. But he wanted this same stuff. He's a downy
cove!"

While Jack Blunt worked upon the lover's fears, "Prince Djiddin's"
hands, on an exploring tour, drew out a knife and two revolvers from the
captured burglar's wideawake coat. He picked up the bulky bundle which
the thief had dropped, and saw the bank seals of Calcutta and the
insurance labels thereon. "I'll give you a show. Keep silent!" cried
Hardwicke as he cut the cords on the fellow's legs. Then grasping him
by the neck, he dragged him bodily to the door of the "Moonshee's" room,
where he thrust him in. Then he locked the door, and knocking on his
own, induced the frightened Janet Fairbarn to open at last. The poor
woman screamed as "Prince Djiddin" calmly said: "Go and rouse up the
girls. Send one of them to bring the gardener and his two men over here.
I've got the thief locked up."

"My God! who are you?" screamed the affrighted Scotswoman, as the Prince
dropped into English.

"I'm an English officer, madam. Don't be a fool. Rouse these people.
There's been one crime already committed, and there may be another.
There's no one else in the house. Get the three men over here at once to
me. I'll stand guard over this thief." Then as Janet Fairbarn fled away
shrieking and yelling, Harry Hardwicke locked the recovered package in
his own trunk, which stood in his room. Bounding across the hall, he
then dragged his captive over the way and thrust him in a helpless heap
into a chair. Before Hardwicke was dressed, he had extorted the secret
of the rendezvous at the old Martello tower.

"Now, sir, no one has seen you yet," said Hardwicke. "If you guide me
there and save her, you shall cut stick. If you betray me, then, by God,
you shall die on the spot." A groan of acquiescence sealed the bargain,
as the three gardeners, armed with bili-hooks and pruning-knives, now
burst into the room. "One of you stay here with the women. Light up the
whole house now. Let no one leave it till I return.