A good tip, paid in advance, avoided all tedious explanations. With the help of the two men, he carried the seven prisoners down and plumped them anyhow, on one another's knees, into the cabs. The wounded men yelled and moaned. He shut the doors, shouting: "Mind your hands!" He got up beside the driver of the front cab. "Where to?" asked the man. "36, Quai des Orfevers: the detective-office." The motors throbbed, the drivers started the gear and the strange procession went scooting down the slopes of the Trocadero. In the streets, they passed a few vegetable-carts. Men carrying long poles were turning out the street-lamps. There were stars in the sky. A cool breeze was wafted through the air. Lupin sang aloud: The Place de la Concorde, the Louvre. . . . In the distance, the dark bulk of Notre Dame. . . . He turned round and half opened the door: "Having a good time, mates? So am I, thank you. It's a grand night for a drive and the air's delicious! . . ." They were now bumping over the ill-paved quays. And soon they arrived at the Palais de Justice and the door of the detective-office. "Wait here," said Lupin to the two drivers, "and be sure you look after your seven fares." He crossed the outer yard and went down the passage on the right leading to the rooms of the central office. He found the night inspectors on duty. "A bag, gentlemen," he said, as he entered, "a fine bag too. Is M. Weber here? I am the new commissary of police for Auteuil." "M. Weber is in his flat. Do you want him sent for?" "Just one second. I'm in a hurry. I'll leave a line for him." He sat down at a table and wrote: "MY DEAR WEBER, "I am bringing you the seven scoundrels composing Altenheim's gang, the men who killed Gourel (and plenty of others) and who killed me as well, under the name of M. Lenormand. "That only leaves their leader unaccounted for. I am going to effect his arrest this minute. Come and join me. He lives in the Rue Delaizement, at Neuilly and goes by the name of Leon Massier. "Kind regards. "Yours, "ARSÈNE LUPIN, "_Chief of the Detective-service_." He sealed the letter: "Give that to M. Weber. It's urgent. Now I want seven men to receive the goods. I left them on the quay." On going back to the taxis, he was met by a chief inspector: "Ah, it's you M. Lebœuf!" he said. "I've made a fine haul. . . . The whole of Altenheim's gang. . . . They're there in the taxi-cabs." "Where did you find them?" "Hard at work kidnapping Mrs. Kesselbach and robbing her house. But I'll tell you all about it when the time comes." The chief inspector took him aside and, with the air of surprise: "I beg your pardon, monsieur, but I was sent for to see the commissary of police for Auteuil. And I don't seem to . . . Whom have I the honor of addressing?"