“Yes,” I replied; “he faced me for nearly thirty minutes, and I should certainly know him if I saw him again.”

“Brothers,” said the president, “you will now------”

But here there was a rush behind me.  I turned toward the door.  Two men were scuffling with a third, who seemed to be trying to break out.  There were the sounds of a struggle; then muttered curses; then the quick, sharp report of a pistol.  There was an exclamation of pain and more oaths; knives flashed in the air; others rushed pell-mell into the melee; and then the force of numbers seemed to triumph, and the crowd came, dragging a man forward to where I stood.  His face was pale as death; the blood, streamed from a flesh wound on his forehead; an expression of dreadful terror glared out of his eyes; he gasped and looked from right to left.  The giant had descended from his dais.  He strode forward.  The wretch was laid at my feet.

“Speak,” said Caesar, “is that the man?”

“It is,” I replied.

The giant took another step, and he towered over the prostrate wretch.

“Brothers,” he asked, “what is your judgment upon the spy?”

“Death!” rang the cry from a hundred throats.

The giant put his hand in his bosom; there was a light in his terrible face as if he had long waited for such an hour.

“Lift him up,” he said.

Two strong men held the spy by his arms; they lifted him to his feet; he writhed and struggled and shrieked, but the hands that held him were of iron.

“Stop!” said the thin, strident voice I had heard before, and the cripple advanced into the circle.  He addressed the prisoner: 

“Were you followed to this place?”

“Yes, yes,” eagerly cried the spy.  “Spare me, spare me, and I will tell you everything.  Three members of the police force were appointed to follow, in a carriage, the vehicle that brought me here.  They were to wait about until the meeting broke up and then shadow the tallest man and a crook-necked man to their lodgings and identify them.  They are now waiting in the dark shadows of the warehouse.”

“Did you have any signal agreed upon with them?” asked the cripple.

“Yes,” the wretch replied, conscious that he was giving up his associates to certain death, but willing to sacrifice the whole world if he might save his own life.  “Spare me, spare me, and I win tell you all.”

“Proceed,” said the cripple.

“I would not trust myself to be known by them.  I agreed with Prince Cabano upon a signal between us.  I am to come to them, if I need their help, and say:  ‘Good evening, what time is it?’ The reply is, ‘It is thieves’ time.’  Then I am to say, ‘The more the better;’ and they are to follow me.”

“Richard,” said the cripple, “did you hear that?”

“Yes.”

“Take six men with you; leave them in the brew-house cellar; lead the police thither; throw the bodies in the river.”