"Try and make me, yer blackleg!" cried Louis. "You low-bred thief, you shall die in the 'ulks!" "You fool," sed Maxwell, "take that for yer pains!" And then there come a scream that curdled my blood. Morgan and me turned and rushed towards 'em, and at that moment Louis dropped to the flore with a knife in 'is 'eart. "Good Gawd!" cried Morgan. "Wot 'ave yer done?" Them was the last words I 'eerd, for I run like a madman to the door, and flew downstairs quick as lightnin'. Wot I wanted wos to git out of the 'ouse and 'ide myself somewhere. I'd never been mixed up with anythink like that afore, and I wos frightened out of my life. We usen't to 'ave a light in the passage, so it wos quite dark; but I made my way to the street door, threw it open, and rushed out. I 'adn't time to take a step afore I found myself in the arms of a man who was just outside, and there I wos, strugglin' and fightin' with 'im for dear life. Wot flashed through me wos that Louis' scream 'd been 'eard, and that I should be taken up for murder. The man I wos fightin' with sed somethink under 'is breath, but I didn't ketch the words. I struck into 'im, and 'e struck into me, and the snow seemed to be the color o' blood. Then 'e dragged me back into the passage, and we went on fightin' like wild cats. 'Ow long it lasted I can't say. My 'and was on 'is throat, and 'is 'and on mine, and there we kep' on tearing at each other in the dark passage till I 'eerd 'im give a groan. Then I flung 'im off, and 'e fell agin the stairs, I think, and laid there quiet. I didn't stop, yer may bet yer life. The minute I wos free I run out of the 'ouse and through the snow, as if a 'undered devils wos at my 'eels. The next thing that I remember wos that I wos at the railway station, taking a third class for London. That's all I know about it, guv'nor. Wot I've sed I'll swear to. It's the truth, the 'ole truth, and nothink but the truth, so 'elp me Gawd! PART IV. CHAPTER XXX. PAUL GODFREY, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, CONTINUES HIS NARRATIVE.