Appleyard had caught sight of his two fellow inmates of the Pompadour at
the very moment in which Allerdyke espied them. He slightly turned away
and bent his head; Allerdyke followed his example.

"You can't mistake them," he said to the chief. "I've described the man
to you--a hunchback. They're crossing through the crowd towards the
tea-house door."

"And they've gone in there," replied the chief in another minute.
"Um!--this is getting more mysterious than ever. I wish I could get a
word with some of our men who really know something! It seems to me--"

But at that moment Blindway came strolling along, his nose in the air,
his eyes fixed on the roofs of the houses outside the park, and he
quietly dropped a twisted scrap of paper at his superior's feet as he
passed. The chief picked it up, spread it out on the marble-topped table,
and read its message aloud to his companions.

"City men say the informant is here and will indicate the men to be
arrested in a few minutes."

The chief tore the scrap of paper into minute shreds and dropped them on
the grass.

"Things are almost at the crisis," he murmured with a smile. "It seems
that we, gentlemen, are to play the part of spectators. The next thing to
turn up--"

"Is Fullaway!" suddenly exclaimed Allerdyke, thrown off his guard and