" It's getting late , and I should like to get some sleep .sx What about sending them home ?sx " .sx There's sump'n in that , " admitted Mr. Parker , after due consideration .sx Manrique turned to Harrigan with a slight bow .sx " If you could spare us your presence , " he remarked , " we should be grateful .sx This is the way out .sx " He led the way into the hall , and the three manacled men followed , shuffling awkwardly because of their cramped positions .sx Mr. Parker brought up the rear , encouraging their progress by an occasional jab in the ribs with the muzzle of his gun .sx The three men were shepherded to the front door , and there Manrique stopped them .sx " Before you go , " he said , " I should like to show you one of the conveniences of this little home of ours , in case you thought of returning later in the evening and disturbing us .sx " He went back again along the tiny hall , which was in reality no more than a passage off which opened the rooms of the flat , and from the far end he tugged away the rug which was the only covering on the floor .sx Beside him , in the wall , were two switches ; and one of these he flicked over , and a light went on , showing a door on either side of him and another door in the dead end of the passage behind him .sx " One of these rooms , " explained Manrique , pointing to the left , " is occupied by our friend with the gun .sx The other is of no particular interest .sx The room behind me is my own .sx Now look at the floor .sx " They looked .sx From side to side of the passage a strip of parquet about twelve feet long had been removed , and the space was occupied by a roughly made platform of .sx plain boards flush with the rest of the floor .sx Manrique came forward and stepped on the platform , and it sank down about an inch under his weight .sx " In case you are thinking that this is due to the economy of the builders , " he said , " let me disillusion you .sx Huppo and myself personally designed and installed this little booby trap .sx You observe how the flooring drops an inch or so under pressure .sx When it does that an electrical contact is made , and that has the effect of bringing this little device into action .sx " He stepped off the platform again , and returned along the corridor to where , in a corner of the passage by the door of his own room , there was a small pedestal .sx This he brought forward into the light , and it could then be seen that two flexible wires trailed from behind it to a socket in the wainscoting .sx The top of the pedestal was in the form of a cube , and apparently solid ; but Manrique touched a spring and the front flapped open like a shutter , disclosing a small cylinder of steel .sx He opened something in the back , made an adjustment , and pressed the second switch in the wall beside him .sx Then he went back and touched the loose platform in the floor with his foot .sx There was a low whirr , and they saw the cylinder within the little box swing round slowly in a semi-circular arc , and return again to central .sx " I read about this in a book , " said Manrique with enthusiasm .sx " Inside this pedestal is a special kind of automatic pistol which fires , not bullets , but buckshot .sx Buckshot spreads , and so although by ducking you might avoid the full charge , it would certainly be very unpleasant for you ; and a small electric motor ensures that the whole of the passage between here and the door shall be sprayed .sx I am now going to switch it on to firing position " - hedid something to the interior of the machine - " and if anyone stepped on that platform I have shown you now , he would be promptly filled full of shot .sx But now I turn off the main switch , and it is quite safe .sx " He suited the action to the word , and returned towards the front door , replacing the rug as he did so .sx " I think , " said Manrique gently , " that you will now appreciate the reason why you should not interrupt our sleep to-night .sx " Harrigan faced the smiling bandit sullenly .sx " I reckon that's so , Manrique , " he said .sx " But this won't be the end of it - not unless you propose to stick behind that patent gun of yours for the rest of the time you're in London .sx And I don't think you'll do that , because that won't help you to get back your diamonds .sx So I'm just telling you - when you set foot outside this door , look out for me !sx " .sx " You will not be easy to miss , Harrigan , " said Manrique politely .sx He took the automatic from Mr. Parker's hand as he spoke , and there was a certain significance in the way he fondled it , as though it were a very treasured toy .sx Harrigan's mouth tightened .sx " Then maybe we'll be seeing you soon ?sx " he said .sx " To-morrow , " Manrique promised him .sx " I have not yet decided where , or at what hour , I shall call upon you , but I promise you that you shall see me to-morrow , and then I shall expect you to return my property to me .sx " " Your property ?sx " .sx Manrique nodded .sx " By right of conquest , " he said .sx Harrigan sneered .sx " And mine by possession , " he said .sx " Possession is nine points of the law , Manrique .sx " " I am outside the law , " replied Manrique , showing his teeth , " and I cannot recognise such subtle arguments .sx You may remove the handcuffs , Huppo .sx " Mr. Parker did so , and jangled them into his pocket .sx Then he opened the door , and the two men who had come in with Harrigan departed without waiting for further orders , as if they were glad to be let off so lightly .sx Harrigan , however , paused for a moment , tenderly rubbing wrists that had been cut and bruised by his savage struggle to escape his fetters .sx " You don't get away with this , Manrique , " he said .sx " I know you're thinking yourself mighty fly now , getting the drop on me twice in one evening like this , but the third time won't be so lucky for you .sx You're clever , but before I'm through with you you're going to wish you'd been clever enough to keep away from me .sx " Manrique lounged against the wall and selected a cigarette from his case .sx " Throw the gentleman out , Huppo , " he said .sx " We find his conversation monotonous .sx " Mr. Parker took a step forward , but Harrigan went out of his own accord .sx " You don't need to do any chucking out , " he said from the threshold .sx " I'm not asking for any more kicks now I'm down .sx But I'll not always be down !sx When I'm up , you're going to be underneath .sx I'll see you to-morrow , Manrique - if you've got the guts to carry out your bluff !sx " I've told you - we shall meet again in a few hours , " replied Manrique cheerfully , and Mr. Parker kicked the door shut in Harrigan's face .sx Manrique sighed and yawned , stretching his arms .sx " Bed-time , Huppo , " he remarked .sx " We have a strenuous day before us .sx " Mr. Parker was in agreement ; and Manrique , after turning out the lights in the sitting-room , followed Mr. Parker into his room .sx " I suppose , " said Hiram Parker , " Harrigan really believed all that nonsense you told him about your patent machine gun ?sx " .sx " I sincerely hope so , " said Manrique .sx " It would have been much more effective if I had been able to think out a way of doing it , but the problem of making a kind of pocket machine gun to take shot gun cartridges was a bit beyond me .sx In any case , I have my own precautions which will probably be far more effective if Harrigan decides to come back in a suit of armour and chance the trip gun in the passage .sx Good-night .sx " He went back into his own room , and , when he was undressed , spent some time delicately balancing a basin of cold water on top of the door , which he left ajar , in such a way that the least touch would dislodge it .sx As an additional precaution , in case Harrigan should return and endeavour to creep more silently by the simple expedient of removing his boots , Manrique arranged a number of drawing-pins , point upwards , on the floor just inside the room .sx Mr. Parker , having decided to hold a brief council of war about the plan of campaign for the next day before he went to sleep , trod upon two drawing-pins with his bare feet , and received the deluge of cold water at the same moment , and the opinion of Manrique's private precautions which he was moved to express was not complimentary .sx CHAPTER V .sx MANRIQUE KEEPS IT .sx Down by Limehouse Cut , not a quarter of a mile from the eastern end of Commercial Road , and only a few yards from the point where the Cut run into Limehouse Reach , was the converted warehouse which the Silver Arrow gang had made habitable and turned into the headquarters which they called the Attic .sx As a matter of fact , it was not like an attic at all , for the building had only a ground floor .sx It was a long , narrow erection that had been used for storing bales of wool .sx It had few windows , and boasted no ceiling - standing on the floor , one could look straight up between the dusty rafters and cross-beams into the shadows of the roof .sx In this shed , Harrigan had ordered the construction of roughly finished partitions which divided it up into cubicles where members of the gang could sleep , and a big bare common-room , furnished with a long wooden-table and a number of battered second-hand chairs , where they took their meals and smoked and played cards .sx At one end was a crudely improvised kitchen , and at the other , monopolising two of the scanty windows , were Harrigan's private quarters .sx Here he had arranged a staging , about twelve feet from the ground , forming an improvised mezzanine floor , and this he used for a bedroom .sx Access to it from his living-room was obtained by a ladder ; and the advantage of this room was that , from that elevation , he was able to overlook all the other compartmentsin the building , and thereby exercise some sort of watchful control over the more unruly members of the gang who from time to time made use of the place .sx It was in the living-room that Harrigan sat the next morning , awaiting Manrique's arrival .sx This time , taking a hint from the night before , he had provided himself with a silenced automatic , and this lay on the table in front of him .sx On either side , on wooden chairs , sat the two men who had accompanied him to Manrique's flat twelve hours earlier .sx In the cubicles at the other end of the shed two other members of the gang were sleeping off the effects of the previous night's jag , and , outside , a fifth man was watching for the appearance of the Bandit .sx It was just after twelve o'clock .sx Harrigan had taken Manrique literally at his word , and he had been waiting patiently all the morning for his man to turn up .sx That Manrique would make his promised visit Harrigan had no doubt whatever .sx It was the sort of thing a man like that might be expected to do .sx But what Manrique could hope to gain by that course of action was beyond Harrigan's power to comprehend .sx In fact , this puzzlement was causing the leader of the Silver Arrow gang considerable anxiety .sx It was all very well to bring off a series of successful robberies .sx That had been done before .sx It was , if it came to the point , even understandable that such a man should deliberately visit Gussie's in the hope of recovering the twice-stolen profits of one of those coups .sx At Gussie's he would not be recognised at once , and he would also have the advantage of being the aggressor , and taking the enemy by surprise .sx To carry out such a plan required nerve , certainly , but no more nerve than an admittedly nervy man might be expected to possess .sx But the .sx