Stuart was dazed. Words failed him, and he swayed dizzily. "I thought _you_ were murdered," said Max, still grasping his hand, "and I perceive that you had made the same mistake about me! Do you know what saved me, my friend, from the consequences of that frightful blow? It was the bandage of 'Le Balafre'!" "You must possess a skull like a negro's!" said Stuart feebly. "I believe I have a skull like a baboon!" returned Max, laughing with joyous excitement. "And you, doctor, you must possess a steel wind-pipe; for flesh and blood could never have survived the pressure of that horrible pigtail. You will rejoice to learn that Miguel was arrested on the Dover boat-train this morning and Ah-Fang-Fu at Tilbury Dock some four hours ago. So we are both avenged! But we waste time!" He unscrewed a flask and handed it to Stuart. "A terrible experience has befallen you," he said. "But tell me--do you know where it is--the lair of 'The Scorpion'?" "I do!" replied Stuart, having taken a welcome draught from the flask. "Where is Dunbar? We must carefully surround the place or he will elude us." "Ah! as he eluded us at 'The Pidgin House'!" cried Max. "Do you know what happened? They had a motorboat in the very cellar of that warren. At high tide they could creep out into the cutting, drawing their craft along from pile to pile, and reach the open river at a point fifty yards above the house! In the damnable darkness they escaped. But we have two of them." "It was all my fault," said Sowerby guiltily. "I missed my spring when I went for the Chinaman who came out first, and he gave one yell. The old fox in the shop heard it and the fat was in the fire." "You didn't miss your spring at me!" retort Stuart ruefully. "No," agreed Sowerby. "I didn't mean to miss a second time!" "What's all this row," came a gruff voice. "Ah! Inspector Dunbar!" said Max. Dunbar walked up the path, followed by a number of men. At first he did not observe Stuart, and: "You'll be waking all the neighborhood," he said. "It's the next big house, Sowerby, the one we thought, surrounded by the brick wall. There's no doubt, I think ... Why!" He had seen Stuart, and he sprang forward with outstretched hand. "Thank God!" he cried, disregarding his own counsel about creating a disturbance. "This is fine! Eh, man! but I'm glad to see you!" "And _I_ am glad to be here!" Stuart assured him. They shook hands warmly. "You have read my statement, of course?" asked Stuart. "I have," replied the Inspector, and gave him a swift glance of the tawny eyes. "And considering that you've nearly been strangled, I'll forgive you! But I wish we'd known about this house----" "Ah! Inspector," interrupted Gaston Max, "but you have never seen Zara el-Khala! I have seen her--and _I_ forgive him, also!" Stuart continued rapidly: