Fairy Fan cast a scornful glance round the room. It did not deserve such disdain, as it was magnificently furnished, although the display of colour was rather barbaric. The walls were lined with tall narrow mirrors framed in gold, and with painted panels let in between. The hangings were of crimson plush embroidered with gold, and the blue carpet was profusely sprinkled with yellow flowers. There were red velvet divans against the walls, many gilt chairs with spindle-legs, and numerous card-tables with green-cloth tops. At the further end of the room a door--likewise sheathed in iron--led into an inner and smaller apartment, similarly furnished. And everywhere glittered electric lights in opaque globes. Apparently Balkis had spared no cost to make her subterranean gambling-rooms as gorgeous as possible. When she saw Miss Berry sneer at the--in her opinion--matchless magnificence of the place, her black eyes sparkled with fury. But the men had more important things to think about than the furnishing of the room, with which they were well acquainted. Berry surveyed Frank with glee, and rubbed his hands. He looked harder and more evil than ever, and openly gloated over his victim. "I guess you're fixed this trip, young man," said he, cheerfully. Frank turned a disdainful back on the little scoundrel, and addressed himself to Darrel, who glared at him with sulky triumph. "You betrayed me, I suppose?" he said, with contempt. "I knew that Tamaroo would bring you here," replied Darrel, coolly, "and I have brought Berry to have you arrested." "That is out of the question," put in Jarman, decidedly. "Why so?" demanded Berry, with a snarl. "Because I know too much about you and your niece here. If this case comes into court, I'll have Captain Banjo Berry, _alias_ Sakers, arrested for the murder of Anchor in San Francisco." "I did not murder him." "I can testify to that," said Fan, who was listening eagerly. "He was with me in Chicago at the time." "You were not in Chicago," cried Tamaroo. "You came back to your own house, and told me that your husband had gone to see Mr. Jarman. I followed him, and I saw Captain Berry kill Anchor." The little skipper clenched his hands. "It's a lie! Who'll believe the words of a black man?" "I am not black," said Eustace, coolly, "and I can swear that you fired the shot. Your niece made out that her husband was killed by an old miner whom he had cheated. That is untrue. You shot him, as you hoped to get the papers dealing with the Scarlet Bat treasure from him." "He intended to give them in any case," said Mrs. Anchor. "I know that," said Tamaroo; "and he asked me to come to the house, so that he might get the rest of the documents from me. But I guessed his trick, and I followed him. I took the papers from his body and I knifed him." "You?" cried Fan and Berry together. "Yes. He was a traitor, and he died. You killed him, Berry, but I put the finishing stroke. And I also stabbed Starth."