rapidly, and by the way his expression suddenly changed I judged that he
was hearing news of importance. After talking for a minute or two he
hung up the receiver, pushed open the door and came out. His face
betrayed his emotion.

"Come over here," he said in a curious tone. "I have something to tell
you."

I followed him a little way down the passage which led to the
card-rooms. When we were out of sight and earshot of the club servants
he stopped abruptly and turned to me.

"Jack has been found," he said quickly. "He was found gagged and bound
in a house in Grafton Street half an hour ago. He is there now, and the
police are with him."

"Good God!" I exclaimed. "How did they identify him?"

"He was not unconscious. The police want me to go there at once. Come."

We walked up to Grafton Street, as it was such a little way, also
Easterton wanted to tell me more. The Inspector who had just spoken to
him had not told him what had led to the police entering the house in
Grafton Street, or if anybody else had been found upon the premises. He
had only told him that Scotland Yard had for some weeks had the house
under surveillance--they had suspected that something irregular was
going on there, but they did not know what.

"I expect they have a pretty shrewd idea," Easterton added, as we
crossed Piccadilly, "but they won't say what it is. Hello! Just look at