Pandemonium broke loose. Doors and windows were burst out, and everybody rushed toward the outer air.
Among the last to emerge was Nick.
He held the “bouncer” in one hand and the ghost of Aunt Lavina in the other.
Both of them were very badly used up. When the detective dropped them on the lawn they made no attempt to rise.
Some of the medium's stool-pigeons were beginning to get their wits together, and were making preparations for putting out the fire.
Nick yelled to them, and pointed to a line of garden hose on the lawn.
There was a head of water in this pipe, and with the aid of its stream the fire was extinguished.
The detective did not assist. He turned his attention to discovering what had become of Colonel Richmond.
The colonel had disappeared. The carriage in which he had come was gone.
Doubtless the person who had driven him over had hustled him into the carriage at the earliest possible moment.
“A shrewd move,” muttered Nick, “and a bad one for me. However, I've got this gang cornered, and if they've been doing the job at the colonel's house, their operations are over.”
There was an excited group of people by the main door of the house. In the midst of them stood the medium, a fat and coarse woman, whom Nick had seen before in the same crooked business.
Those around her were the real believers in spiritualism, who had come to the show.
They had witnessed the exposure, and were ready to mob the medium.
Nick took his two prisoners to this group. He tied them securely, and then turned to one of the dupes:
“Why don't you have these people arrested?” he whispered. “Charge them with taking money under false pretenses.”
“Good!” said the man. “There's a warrant for some of them already. I'll get the constable, who lives over across the fields, and he'll pull 'em all in.”
A half-hour later the whole gang was under arrest and on the way to the nearest lock-up.
The detective felt that his evening's work was not in vain. Whatever might be the facts about the connection of this gang with the affair at Colonel Richmond's, it was a good thing to get them all out of the way.
The colonel's presence among them proved that they were the spiritualistic crowd which was after him. Their removal would simplify matters.
Moreover, the colonel's presence, and his questioning of the spook, showed that any theory connecting him with the disappearance of the jewels was wrong.
It was evident that he had asked the questions in all sincerity, believing that he was really in the presence of his aunt's spirit.
He could hardly be crazy enough to do that, supposing that his lunacy had led him to abstract the jewels.
Having witnessed the arrest of the gang, Nick procured a horse and drove rapidly toward Colonel Richmond's house. He arrived there about half-past eleven o'clock.
There was a light in the parlor, and through the open window Nick beheld an unusual scene.
The colonel, Mrs. Pond and Horace were present. Mr. Pond was not in the house. He had returned to New York.
Besides the persons named, there were in the parlor nearly all the servants connected in any way with the establishment.
It looked as if the colonel was holding court.
One of the servants seemed to be giving testimony. The expressions on the faces of the others showed deep interest and superstitious terror.
Nick had no doubt about what was going on. The colonel was getting to the bottom of the ghost stories. There must have been more manifestations that night.
The detective was in doubt whether to enter the house in his own character. Finally he decided not to do so.
He disguised himself in the character of John Gilder, the coachman, who was not present in the parlor.
It seemed best to gain access to the room from an entrance toward the old part of the house instead of from the main hall.
So Nick passed around the corner of the house. As he did so he was aware of a dark figure crouching in the shadow.
He instantly grappled with it, and the figure was not less prompt in grappling with him.
The struggle was very brief. It ended with Nick on top, and no harm done.
The detective instantly leaped to his feet again.
