At nine o'clock we all met together in that room, and if any one 'ad seed our faces 'e'd 'ave guessed there wos serious business on 'and. It comes over me now to say as there wos a green carpet on the flore, and I dare say that's the reason why I sor the wision of Louis yesterday on the billiard table, and why it comes so orfen when I'm crossin' a green field. I never noticed the color o' the carpet afore that night.

We settled it atween us—that is, me and Maxwell and Morgan did—that when the night's work wos over we'd clear out o' Liverpool immediate, and make tracks separately for London, where we wos to meet at Maxwell's rooms.

And wot a night it wos! The snow wos comin' down enough to blind yer, and it wos as much as a man could do to stand agin the wind.

"All the better for the job we've got to do," sed Maxwell; "nobody'll notice us goin' in or out."

Morgan and me set down at one table, and Louis and Maxwell at another. Our chairs wos placed so as we could see the others without turnin' round. We didn't pay much attention to the game we wos playin', though we pretended to be in earnest over it. But we couldn't keep our eyes off the other two. We wosn't as careful as we might 'ave been, for all of a sudden the man as wos bein' rooked cried savagely:

"Wot are you fellers watchin' me for?"

"We ain't watchin' yer," growled Morgan.

"You are, and yer know you are," sed Louis. "Keep your eyes off me, or I'll wash my 'ands of the 'ole crew."

"'Ow am I to take that, Louis?" arst Maxwell, speakin' very quiet.

When 'e spoke like that, with the look on 'is face 'e 'ad then, 'e wos a dangerous man to tackle.

"Take it as yer please," Louis answered. "You and me 'ave knowed each other a goodish long time now, and I've been thinkin' it ain't been much in my pocket. From fust to last it's been a case o' shell out, shell out."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" sed Maxwell, getting white about the gills.

"Yes, that's it," sed Louis. "Let's see. Wot am I winnin'?" He counted up. "Six 'undered. Shall we leave off?"

"It ain't wot we arranged," sed Maxwell, pullin' in 'is 'orns. "I say, you fellers—Louis is right. We don't want none o' your interference, so keep yerselves to yerselves."

"And I'll 'ave no lookin' over our 'ands," said Louis. "Some people don't mind it. I do. Stick to yer own table, and show us yer backs."

"Wot are yer makin' a row about?" arst Morgan. "We don't want ter 'ave nothink to do with yer."

Upon that we turned our chairs so as we couldn't ketch sight of the other table, and it wos only when Louis and Maxwell spoke out that we could 'ear what wos goin' on.

"I sha'n't be sorry when it's over," whispered Morgan to me.

"More shall I," sed I.

If Louis'd carried out 'is threat of washin' his 'ands of us then and there, it'd been better for 'im. But 'e couldn't guess wot wos going to 'appen no more nor we could.

We all went on playin', and sometimes the room wos so quiet that you could 'ave 'eard a mouse walk across the flore. We wosn't surprised when Louis sed 'e'd won six 'undered; it wos part of the plot to let 'im win at fust. It's an old trick, yer know. From chance words we caught now and then, we knew the luck 'ad turned, and that it wos Maxwell now as wos winnin'.

"That makes five 'undered. Eight fifty. Double the stake if you like. Thirteen 'undered. Another rubicon. Twenty-four 'undered. Luck wos agin me last night; looks as if it wos turning. Your deal. I've got six from the king! Good! And sixteen's twenty-two. And four queens, ninety-six."

It wos Maxwell as spoke from time to time, and we knew that things wos goin' on the way they'd been planned to. Later on, from wot we could make out, Louis got tired of piquet. 'E cussed the cards, and cussed 'is luck, and cussed the company 'e wos in; and then proposed to play cribbage, the best two games out of three, and go double or quits. Maxwell, arter objectin' to sech a 'eavy stake, give in, and they got out the cribbage board.

"It'll soon be over," whispered Morgan.

I nodded, and he looked at my watch. I can't be sure o' the time, but I think it wos about eleven o'clock.

"Fust game to me," sed Maxwell.

They went on with the second, when all of a sudden Louis cried, "Stop!" so loud that we 'eld our breaths, wonderin' wot was comin'.

"Wot's the matter now?" arst Maxwell, as gentle as a lamb.

"Wot's the matter now!" screamed Louis. "You're an infernal scoundrel, that's wot's the matter. I've done with yer—and my mother shall be done with yer. I sor yer palm them two fives. And look 'ere—and 'ere! The cards are marked. That's 'ow you've been swindlin' me all along!"

Morgan put one of 'is 'ands on mine, and the other on 'is lips, as much as to say, "Let 'em alone. We shall make it wuss if we put our spoke in."

"You're out of yer senses," sed Maxwell, without raisin' 'is woice. "I've won the money fair."

"You're a common cheat," cried Louis, "and you lie!"

"Don't say that agin," sed Maxwell.

"You lie—you lie—you lie!" screamed Louis.

Morgan and me both started to our feet, but we wos afraid to turn round. I wos so scared that I wished myself well out of it, and from Morgan's face I guessed he wished the same. No one spoke for a little while, and then it wos Maxwell wot led the way.

"Yer'll 'ave to apolergize to me for this," 'e sed; "I'll wait till yer cool."

"Yer'll wait till yer in yer grave, then," sed Louis, "and I'll see yer in —— fust."

"Are yer goin' to pay wot yer owe me?" arst Maxwell.

"Not one brass farden," Louis answered, "and I'll see if I can't git back wot yer've robbed me of already. I'll have my revenge on yer some'ow; I'll make a public egshibition of yer. You're a blackleg and a swindler, and I'll take these marked cards to prove wot I say."

"Drop 'em," sed Maxwell, "or it'll be wuss for yer."

"Try and make me, yer blackleg!" cried Louis. "You low-bred thief, you shall die in the 'ulks!"

"You fool," sed Maxwell, "take that for yer pains!"

And then there come a scream that curdled my blood. Morgan and me turned and rushed towards 'em, and at that moment Louis dropped to the flore with a knife in 'is 'eart.

"Good Gawd!" cried Morgan. "Wot 'ave yer done?"

Them was the last words I 'eerd, for I run like a madman to the door, and flew downstairs quick as lightnin'. Wot I wanted wos to git out of the 'ouse and 'ide myself somewhere. I'd never been mixed up with anythink like that afore, and I wos frightened out of my life.

We usen't to 'ave a light in the passage, so it wos quite dark; but I made my way to the street door, threw it open, and rushed out. I 'adn't time to take a step afore I found myself in the arms of a man who was just outside, and there I wos, strugglin' and fightin' with 'im for dear life. Wot flashed through me wos that Louis' scream 'd been 'eard, and that I should be taken up for murder. The man I wos fightin' with sed somethink under 'is breath, but I didn't ketch the words. I struck into 'im, and 'e struck into me, and the snow seemed to be the color o' blood. Then 'e dragged me back into the passage, and we went on fightin' like wild cats. 'Ow long it lasted I can't say. My 'and was on 'is throat, and 'is 'and on mine, and there we kep' on tearing at each other in the dark passage till I 'eerd 'im give a groan. Then I flung 'im off, and 'e fell agin the stairs, I think, and laid there quiet.

I didn't stop, yer may bet yer life. The minute I wos free I run out of the 'ouse and through the snow, as if a 'undered devils wos at my 'eels. The next thing that I remember wos that I wos at the railway station, taking a third class for London.

That's all I know about it, guv'nor. Wot I've sed I'll swear to. It's the truth, the 'ole truth, and nothink but the truth, so 'elp me Gawd!