Though he still bore the physical evidence of the bad time through which he had been, he had recovered something of his old confidence.
"The confession was burnt," he said, "and burnt by you, Mr.Tarling.

And now I think your bluff has gone on long enough." "My bluff!" said Tarling, in his turn astonished.

"What do you mean by bluff ?" "I am referring to the warrant which you suggest has been issued for my arrest," said Milburgh.
"That's no bluff." It was Whiteside who spoke, and he produced from his pocket a folded sheet of paper, which he opened and displayed under the eyes of the man.

"And in case of accidents," said Whiteside, and deftly slipped a pair of handcuffs upon the man's wrists.
It may have been Milburgh's overweening faith in his own genius.

It may have been, and probably was, a consciousness that he had covered his trail too well to be detected.