"Mr. Burke, sir, what d’you think I’ve seed? I could hardly believe my own eyes. I was walkin’ down towards the fort when I seed two men goin’ into a big house. They was Englishmen, leastways white men, and I may be wrong, but I bet my boots one on ’em was that there soft-speakin’ villain Diggle." "Diggle!" exclaimed Desmond, springing up. "You must be mistaken, Bulger." "I may be wrong, sir, but I never remembers any time when I was." "What house did he go into?" "That I can’t tell you, sir, not bein’ sure o’ my bearin’s." "But you could point it out?" "’Course I could. Rather. Just so." "Then I’ll come along with you, and you can show me. If it is Diggle we must have him arrested." "True, an’ I’ll knot the rope for his neck." "How long ago was this?" "Not a quarter of an hour, sir. I comed up at once." The two set off together. They quickly reached the house; Desmond recognized it as Omichand’s. The evening was closing in, but no lights were visible through the chiks[#] that covered the windows. While Desmond was considering, two figures stepped down from the veranda and walked rapidly across the compound towards the gate in the wall. At the first glance Desmond saw that Bulger had not been mistaken. The taller of the two figures was disguised, but it was impassible to mistake the gloved right hand. It was Diggle to a certainty. [#] Hanging screens made of thin strips of bamboo. "Are you game to capture them?" said Desmond. Bulger grunted and gave a twist to his hook. "I’ll take Diggle," added Desmond: "you go for the other man." They waited in the shadow of the wall. The gate opened, the two men came out, and in an instant Desmond and his companion dashed forward. Taken by surprise, the men had no time to defend themselves. With his left hand Desmond caught at Diggle’s sword-arm, and pointing his rapier at his heart, said: "You are my prisoner, Mr. Diggle." At the same moment Bulger had caught the second man by the throat, and raising his formidable hook, cried: "Heave to, matey, or I’ll spoil your mug for you."