"Wake up, skulker! your time's come at last."
He opened his eyes, his heart throbbing violently, and there stood the burly form of Simon Bond. He looked bigger than ever in the dimly-lighted room; and as his great grimy face came nearer, and his strong hands grasped Stephen's ear and collar, he felt that his last moment had come, and even sooner than he had expected.
"Get up!" said his enemy, giving him a kick, and dragging him roughly from the chair. "Now," he went on, "I think you refused to answer my questions last time I asked 'em. You'll please to alter your ways from to-night, or you'll get more o' these than you'll quite like."
As he spoke he let go of the lad's collar with his right hand, and brought it swinging down with all his force on the side of Stephen's head.
Instantly the boy dropped like one dead at his feet.
At the same moment the office-door opened, and the appalling sight appeared of Mr. Fairfax's tall form, followed closely by his son Archie.
Not a second did Simon lose. He turned to the door, and was off like a flash of lightning.
Archie made a rush, as though to follow him.
"Cowardly lout!" he cried.
"No; stop, Archie," said his father. "You couldn't catch him; and if you did, you couldn't keep him. We'll examine him to-morrow—we both saw who it was. Now let us look after this poor lad."