The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-05-09
My Strangest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
Author of cdr. KiI1oIa,'' "The Beautiful
White Devil PharOs, The
Egyptian" Etc.
Copyrighted, 1901, by Ward, Lock & Col
CHAPTER VI.-CoNTINUED.

Yer can take 1T as yer darned
well please" said the other, as he
spoke placing his glass upside down
on the counter, in order to prove be-
yOnd contradiction that it was emp
ty. I Immediately ordered a repeti-
ton, which was supplied. ThereupOn
the cabman continued:
"When 1 as a bit of business ter
do yer must understand that 1 does
it, and that no man can say as l
doesn't. A gent gets into my keb
and SEE he: Drive me. until 1 tell
yer to stop, and go as fast as yer
can SEE he. Take every back street
yer know of, and come out some
where Hoxton way. I'm not par
tclar so long as 1 go fast, an 1
don't git collared by the keb that's
after US. If yer help me to give i'm
the slip there's a five-poun' note for
yer trouble Well, SEE 1 to myself,
this is proper bit of business and
there and then l sets off as fast as
the old 'Orse cud take US. We turns
up Southampton street, and you
turns up after us. AS we was agoin'
down 'Enrietta street 1 asked him to
let me ave a look at his five-pOun'
note, for I didn't want no Bank of
Fashion or any of that sort of truck
showed into me, you'll understand.
You needn't be suspicious, cabby,
SEE he, I'll make it suverings, if you
like, and half a one over for luck, if
that will satisfy yer? When I told
him it would, he give me two poun'
ten in advance and away we went
again. We weren't. more than 'arf
mile away from here-thank We, sir,
/ don't mind if I do, it's cold drivin'
well, as 1 was a sayin' we wasn't
more than 'arf mile away from
here, when the gent he stands up
and SEE to me: Look here, Kebby,
turn the next corner pretty sharp,
and slow down at the first bye-street
you come to. Then I'll jump out
= g HI 4 yer are, guvnor,' SEE I, and
with that he lands me up the other
two poun' ten and the eXtry half
suvering. I fobbed it and whipped
up the old 'oss. Next moment we
was around the corner, and a-drivin'
as if we was a trying to ketch
train. Then we comes to little side
street, an 1 slows down. Out e
jumps and down he goes along a side
street as if the devil was arter him.
Then l drives on my way and pulls
up ere. Bilked you were, guvnor,
and I don't mind sayin' so, but bust
ness is business, and five pOun' ten
amt to be picked up every day. I
guess the old woman will be all
there when I get 'ome tonight"
That's all very well, cabby," I
said, 'but it's just likely you want
to add another sovereign to that five
pound ten. If you do 1 don't mind
putting another in your way. I tell
you that 1 want to catch the man l
was after tonight. He's as big a
thief as ever walked the earth, and
If you will help me to put my hand
upon him, you'll be doing a service,
not only to me, but to the whole
country at large"
What is it you want me to do?"
he asked, suspiciously. "He treated
me fair, and he'll take it mean of me
if help you to nab him."
81 don't want you to do anything
but to drive me to the side street
where you put him down. Then you
can take your sovereign and be off
home as quick as you like. Do you
agree?"
He hesitated for a space in which
a man could have counted 20, and
then set his glass upon the counter.
'T'n do it." he said. eth drive yer
there, not for the suvering, but for
the good of the country yer speaks
about. Come on"
1 gave my own man mis- money, and
then followed the other out to his
cab. He mounted to his box, not
without some help, and we presently
set off. Whether it was the effect
of the refreshment he had imbibed
or whether it was mere elation OF
spirits 1 cannot say, the fact, how
ever, remains that for the whole OF
the journey, which occupied ten OF
twelve minutes, he howled vocifer-
Ously. A more joyous cabman could
scarcely have been discovered in all
that part of London. At last he
pulled his horse to a standstill, and
descended from his seat.
This 'ere's the place." he said
'and that's the street he bolted
down. Yer can't mistake it. Now
let's have a look at yer suvering
gunner, and then I'll be off home to
bed, and it's about time too"
I paid him the sum I had prom
Used him, and then made my way
down the narrow street, in the direc-
ton Hayle had taken. 1t was not
more than a couple of hundred yards
long, and was hemmed in on either
hand by squalid cottages. As if to