One of the newcomers was Ben Loring, a well-known detective
of the Montreal department; the other our old friend Nick Hanson.
"Hello, Blair!" exclaimed Nick, in his usual jovial tones, as if greeting
an old friend, as he confidently held out his hand.
At that instant, instead of receiving a handshake, he received a
tremendous blow on the neck, just the place which pugilists aim for. Nick
staggered and almost fell. This blow was not struck by the major, but by
his new clerk, who had not been observed by either of the newcomers.
"Two can play at that game," muttered Ben Loring, as he felled Hiram to
the floor with a sweeping blow, and in half a minute Ben had his nippers
on the young man's wrists. "I'll teach you to interfere with an officer
in the line of duty," he added.
In the meantime, as Nick staggered up, and the major saw him gaining his
equilibrium, he succeeded in drawing a revolver, but as he raised it to
about the level of Hanson's breast that athlete kicked the hand that held
it, and the gun flew upward, struck the ceiling, was discharged, and fell
harmlessly to the floor, while the dislocated hand of the major dropped
helplessly to his side. The other wrist was instantly handcuffed, and
within a few minutes both landlord and clerk were helpless prisoners on
their way to the police station. Arriving at that place, they were duly
searched by an officer and their pockets emptied. From the major was
taken a receipt signed by Case for a package of money said to contain
fifty thousand pounds.
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