"Stand clear of that pistol!" I shouted, as Argot (for it was indeed he) tried to fire over his shoulder. A young man I had not seen before sprang forward, and, seizing his arm, bent it back till it caused a yell of pain and the pistol fell from the madman's grasp. At this juncture the janitor appeared, and the four of us had little difficulty in overpowering the fellow, although he still fought like a demon. As soon as he was safely bound, I sent my boy to telephone for an ambulance. I now observed, for the first time, that Argot had evidently tried to disguise himself. An enormous pillow, stuffed inside his trousers, and several towels, wound around his shoulders, gave him the appearance of extreme obesity. So, after all, he had been the fat man, and the running footsteps had been his. Well, I was glad that one mystery, at least, was cleared up.
The young stranger, whose opportune appearance had, in all probability, saved my life, still knelt beside the prostrate man, and he and I, together, succeeded in preventing him from breaking his bonds during one of his many paroxysms of frenzy.
"Thank you very much for your timely assistance," I said; "you are a brave man."
"Oh, not at all," he replied; "I am on duty here; I've been shadowing this man all the evening."
We had an awful job getting Argot into the ambulance, and I confess I never felt more relieved in my life than when I saw him safely locked up in a padded cell.
As I was coming away from the hospital, I met Merritt hurrying towards it.
"Hello!" he called out; "is it all over?"
"Yes; he's locked up, if that's what you mean."
"Well, Doctor, you've had a pretty lively time of it, my man tells me."
"It's entirely owing to your forethought, in having Argot immediately watched, that some of us are alive at present."
"You don't say; well, let's have a drink to celebrate the occasion. You look a little white around the gills, Doctor."
After tossing down my second bracer, I said: "Well, Mr. Merritt, how do you feel about your bet now?"
"Oh, all right," he answered, with a twinkle in his eye.
I stared at him in bewilderment. Then, remembering that of course he had not yet heard Madame's story, I proceeded at once to impart it to him.