Two policemen were busy beating back the crowd, and collecting evidence from excited onlookers who had seen nothing.
At this stage, Professor Thunder dashed through the assemblage.

The Professor was in an agitated frame of mind.
"What is it ?" he cried.

"Has anyone seen a Missin' Link--a dark brown Missin' Link ?" Ten persons explained at once.
"He's in there now," cried a bewildered cabman, pointing to the eating-house.

"He's ate er girl, an' he's out after the missus with a club." "'T went up them stairs," cried a trembling woman.
Yells from the crowd in the road brought the people surging into the middle of the street.

Mahdi had opened a front window, and stepped out on to the roof of the verandah.