the
first effort that you make to escape will result in your death. Remain
quiet, and do as I wish you to, and you will fare well, but--"

He pressed the barrel of a revolver against his side, and the fellow
trembled at its touch.

"Who are you?" Jackson demanded, almost in an inaudible voice.

"I am that d----d Brown whom you spoke of a few minutes since," replied
the inspector, with a chuckle.

"And these two men?" he asked, pointing to Fred and myself.

"The Americans, whom you thought to get convicted of murder. You see
that they have played you a Yankee trick, and have rather got the best
of the bargain."

The poor wretch's head fell upon his breast, and we supposed that he was
completely crushed by his unexpected arrest, but we kept a sharp eye
upon his movements, nevertheless, for fear that he should convey
intelligence of his situation to the noisy and drunken gang in the room.
We knew that the single word "Traps" would cause them to swarm around us
like hornets, and that many blows would have to be struck before we
could make our way to the street and escape with our prisoner, whom we
were desirous of holding on to at every hazard.

"Steel Spring," whispered the inspector, but no Steel Spring was present
to respond. The fellow had stolen away unperceived as soon as the
handcuffs were put on Jackson's wrists,' disliking the idea of fighting
his way from the room. The act was characteristic of the man, and we
cursed him in our hearts for a coward and a traitor.

Here were but three of us to oppose nearly thirty, and to add to our
trouble it was not only necessary that we should get clear ourselves,
but that we should take our prisoner with us; and while we knew that in
case of a rush we would stand but a slim chance, we determined that we
would dispute our lives with the ruffians, and make every shot in our
revolvers tell.

"If that coward of a Steel Spring was only here," muttered the
inspector.

"He would be of little use to us," I remarked, "for he has not pluck
enough to fight a hedgehog, if it showed spirit."

"I expected to send him for the reserved police force that I have posted
near at hand. I told them to wait until they got word from me, and they
will obey orders."

"It is useless to repine," Fred exclaimed. "Let us make a bold push for
the street, and trust to our usual good luck and boldness for an
escape."

"Or, had we better sit here until morning, and pretend to drink as hard
as