By its light the prisoner examined the grim countenances before him. "Surely," he decided, "there is nothing in these features to indicate a strenuous moral objection to the bribery of the contents of my traveling-case," and at the thought of the absurd discrepancy between his present predicament and the cynical altitudes of a short time since, and as he considered the humiliation awaiting him when he was compelled once more to face the detective, he decided to venture on another attempt to purchase his freedom. With this thought he was about to place the case he carried on the ground, when one of the men, remarking his movement and mistaking its purpose, cried: "Here; none of that!" "But," expostulated the Sepoy, "you do not----" "Shut up!" replied the fellow coarsely. "Come inside and show us where you have left the chief. You here, the boss in there--something's wrong." With a muttered curse, and urged by no ceremonious hands, the Sepoy reascended the steps. Having in his haste to escape neglected to latch the doors, the raging Sepoy had no difficulty in conducting his captors along the hallway to his room. In a few moments this strangely assorted trio reached the apartment in which the Sepoy had but a short time before disported himself, so to speak, with such waspish reprisal, and delivered such a farrago of ridicule and cynicism upon the defenseless head of the silent figure bound to the chair. At sight of this extraordinary spectacle the two understrappers came to a standstill and looked upon the Sepoy with a species of respect. Never before had they beheld their chief in such a predicament; the means of its accomplishment must have been amazingly clever, and the agent himself somewhat of a marvel. However, while one of the men stood guard over the Sepoy, with a renewal of his watchfulness awakened by what he saw, the other proceeded to unfasten the gag and remove the strips which bound the unfortunate Gratz. After a pause of inscrutable regard of the Sepoy, who, despite the embarrassing denouement, managed to maintain a fair degree of composure, Gratz, addressing the man who had released him, said: "You will find the key of these handcuffs on the table yonder." Obedient to the direction of the detective's glance, the man proceeded to the table, found the object of his quest, and inserting it in the handcuffs detached them from the hands of the still impassive Gratz. "Now," continued the latter calmly, "I will transfer these ornaments to that gentleman. Secure him precisely as you found me, with the exception of the gag." Presently this was done. At this, turning to his subordinates, the detective said: "Leave me with this gentleman for a while; I will call you in case of need."