At that moment Ralston came swinging down the hall at a great pace, pale and evidently under some sort of powerful excitement. He nodded carelessly to the three men as they stood together and disappeared into the cloak-room. Bright followed him, but Ralston, with his hat on, his head down and struggling into his overcoat, rushed out as Bright reached the door, and ran into the latter, precisely as he had run into Crowdie. Bright was by far the heavier man, however, and Ralston stumbled at the shock. Bright caught him by one arm and held him a moment. “All right, Ham!” he exclaimed. “Everybody gets into my way to-day. Let go, man! I’m in a hurry!” “Wait a bit,” said Bright. “I’ll come with you--” “No--you can’t. Let me go, Ham! What the deuce are you holding me for?” He shook Bright’s arm angrily, for between the message he had received and the obstacles he seemed to meet at every step, he was, by this time, very much excited. Bright thought he read certain well-known signs in his face, and believed that he had been drinking hard and might get into trouble if he went out alone, for Ralston was extremely quarrelsome at such times, and was quite capable of hitting out on the slightest provocation, and had been in trouble more than once for doing so, as Bright was well aware. “I’m going with you, Jack, whether you like it or not,” said the latter, with mistaken firmness in his good intentions. “You’re not, I can tell you!” answered Ralston, in a lower tone. “Just let me go--or there’ll be trouble here.” He was furious at the delay, but Bright’s powerful hand did not relax its grasp on his arm. “Jack, old man,” said Bright, in a coaxing tone, “just come upstairs for a quarter of an hour, and get quiet--” “Oh--that’s it, is it? You think I’m screwed. I’m not. Let me go--once--twice--” Ralston’s face was now white with anger. The [Illustration: “Before he could even raise his head, Ralston was out of the door and in the street.”--Vol. II., p. 57.] unjust accusation was the last drop. He was growing dangerous, but Bright, in the pride of his superior strength, still held him firmly. “Take care!” said Ralston, almost in a whisper. “I’ve counted two.” He paused a full two seconds. “Three! There you go!” The other men saw his foot glide forward like lightning over the marble pavement. Instantly Bright was thrown heavily on his back, and before he could even raise his head, Ralston was out of the door and in the street. Crowdie and Miner ran forward to help the fallen man, as they had not moved from where they had stood, a dozen paces away. But Bright was on his feet in an instant, pale with anger and with the severe shock of his fall. He turned his back on his companions at once, pretending to brush the dust from his coat by the bright light which fell through the glass door. Frank Miner stood near him, very quiet, his hands in his pockets, as usual, and a puzzled look in his face.