"How dare he
come here."
"I come on an unpleasant errand," said Jennings, stepping
forward. "I want you, Mallow!"
Cuthbert, who had moved forward, stopped. "Why do you want
me?"
Jennings placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I
arrest you on the charge of murdering Selina Loach!"
Maraquito uttered a shriek, and Cuthbert's face grew red. The
latter spoke first. "Is this a jest?" he asked harshly.
"You will not find it so."
"Let me pass. I refuse to allow you to arrest me."
Jennings still continued to keep his hand on Cuthbert's
shoulder, whereupon the young man flung it aside. At the
same moment Jennings closed with him, and a hand-to-hand
struggle ensued. Maraquito, with straining eyes, watched
the fight. With stiffened muscles the two reeled across
the room. Cuthbert was almost too amazed to fight. That
Jennings should accuse him and attack him in this way was
incredible. But his blood was up and he wrestled with the
detective vigorously. He was an excellent athlete, but
Jennings was a west-country-man and knew all that was to
be known about wrestling. With a quick twist of his foot
he tripped up his opponent, and in a minute Cuthbert was
lying on his back with Jennings over him. The two men
breathed hard. Cuthbert struggled to rise, but Jennings
held him down until he was suddenly dragged away by
Maraquito, who was watching the fight eagerly. There she
stood in the centre of the room which she had reached with a
bound.
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