And there was a sound of desperate beating from the inside of the cellar door at the extreme end. The men stopped, startled. "Come," said Hewitt, "more matches!" and he rushed to the door. It was fastened with a bar and padlock. "Let me out, for God's sake!" came the voice, sick and hoarse, from the inside. "Let me out!" "All right!" Hewitt shouted. "We have come for you. Wait a moment." The voice sank into a sort of sobbing croon, and Hewitt tried several keys from his own bunch on the padlock. None fitted. He drew from his pocket the wire he had used for the bolt of the front door, straightened it out, and made a sharp bend at the end. "Hold a match close," he ordered shortly, and one of the men obeyed. Three or four attempts were necessary, and several different bendings of the wire were effected, but in the end Hewitt picked the lock, and flung open the door. From within a ghastly figure fell forward among them fainting, and knocked out the matches. "Hullo!" cried Plummer. "Hold up! Who are you?" "Let's get him up into the open," said Hewitt. "He can't tell you who he is for a bit, but I believe he's Laker." "Laker! What, here?" "I think so. Steady up the steps. Don't bump him. He's pretty sore already, I expect." Truly the man was a pitiable sight. His hair and face were caked in dust and blood, and his finger-nails were torn and bleeding. Water was sent for at once, and brandy. "Well," said Plummer hazily, looking first at the unconscious prisoner and then at Hewitt, "but what about the swag?" "You'll have to find that yourself," Hewitt replied. "I think my share of the case is about finished. I only act for the Guarantee Society, you know, and if Laker's proved innocent----" "Innocent! How?" "Well, this is what took place, as near as I can figure it. You'd better undo his collar, I think"--this to the men. "What I believe has happened is this. There has been a very clever and carefully prepared conspiracy here, and Laker has not been the criminal, but the victim." "Been robbed himself, you mean? But how? Where?" "Yesterday morning, before he had been to more than three banks--here, in fact." "But then how? You're all wrong. We _know_ he made the whole round, and did all the collection. And then Palmer's office, and all, and the umbrella; why----"