A wave of compassion swept over Jack. "Poor devil! Poor devil!" he murmured. "He isn't the real criminal!" "I expect not," said Delamare. Jack suddenly became aware of a dark stain spreading on Delamare's coat sleeve above the elbow. "You're wounded!" he cried. "Nothing serious. A flesh wound. I can move my arm freely." "You must have a doctor." "All right. Monahan, telephone for Doctor McArdle. Then for the police." By this time Berg's eyes were open. He was muttering incoherently, and rolling his head from side to side on the floor. As Monahan was leaving the room, Jack was struck by an idea. "Wait a minute!" he said. To Delamare: "If I might make a suggestion----?" "Go ahead." "Couldn't we keep this affair to ourselves for the present?" "Certainly, if it will further your plans." "This young fellow is mad--or the next thing to it. If we could put him in the hands of a good brain specialist, and have his senses restored by proper treatment, he might make an invaluable witness against the man we really want." "Good!" said Delamare. "We'll call Doctor Watkins Kent. Monahan, never mind the police. First call Doctor McArdle, and say I have had a slight accident. Say no more than that. Then call Doctor Watkins Kent. Say that Mr. Delamare presents his compliments, and wants to know if he can make it convenient to come to his house at once on a matter of importance." 34 Jack, remembering the critical stage at which he had left matters in Forty-Eighth street, did not wait for the doctors, but left Berg in Mr. Delamare's care, and hastened back. He found that Tommy and the two plainclothes men had arrived in the meantime, but finding him gone, they were hanging around outside the door of the room, at a loss what to do. This time they broke in the door without ado. At his first glance inside Jack saw that the room had been visited. Though he had been away but little more than half an hour, a clean sweep had been made of the cards and papers. A still smoldering fire in the grate showed the manner of their disposal. The window on the fire escape was open. "He was inside when you got here!" cried Jack. "He heard you outside. Now he's given us the slip again. Why didn't you watch the back windows!" The city detectives looked distinctly aggrieved. The spokesman for the pair said: "How did we know what your game was?" "You knew!" said Jack to Tommy. Tommy hung his head. "When I came back, and found you gone, I didn't know rightly what to do," he muttered. Jack saw that it was really nobody's fault. "Oh, well, we'll have to try again," he said. "You should have called on us sooner," said the principal detective condescendingly. "Sorry, I didn't," said Jack dryly. The other missed the note of irony. "Well, lay out your case to us now, and we'll give you some experienced advice."