The struggle raged furiously in the darkened room for some moments. Then Hal and Chester found themselves sitting upon one of the intruders, the latter with a revolver pressed to the man's forehead.
Gregory and Crean also had taken a hand in the struggle, and, with
Major Derevaux, now held the other man helpless.
"Strike a light, Antoinette," called the major.
The girl obeyed, and then for the first time the lads were able to get a look at their prisoners.
"By the great Horn Spoon!" ejaculated Chester, after one look at his prisoner. "I'll take my oath that this man is Stubbs."
At the same moment a cry of astonishment was wrung from Major
Derevaux.
"Anderson!" he cried.
Chester and Hal got to their feet. The former twisted his hand in the collar of his prisoner and lifted him to his feet.
"Stubbs!" he said severely, "you should know better than sneak upon a fellow in the dark. You are liable to get hurt."
"I wouldn't have sneaked up, if I had known you were here," growled
Stubbs. "I would have come up openly and with my gun shooting."