The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-23
To
 U M IT Catch a T 11ief.

| guard Belvile had struck hls knavish 1 blow. The suitcase was on the floor, but it's dastardly owner had disappeared.
 s.Is he gone2" was my first faint ques- | tion
 Thank God you're not, anywayi" re- piled Rallies, with what struck me then 1 as mere fllppancy. I managed to raise myself upon one elbow.
 l ''I meant Lord Ernest Belville" said I with dignity Are you quite sure that | he's cleared out?
 Rallies waved hand toward the win dow, which stood wide open to the sum mer stars.
 "Of course" said he, and by the route l intended him to take; he's gone by the Iron ladder l hoped he would What | on earth should we have done with him My poor dear Bunny, I thought you'd 1 take bribe! But it's really more con l vincing as 1t is, and just as well for Lord | Ernest to be convinced for the time be- I ing"
 Are you sure he s?' I questioned, as l I found a rather shaky pair of legs"
 "Of course" cried Rallies again, in the tone to make one blush for the least | misgiving the point. Not that 1t matters one bit,' he added, airily, flor we have him either way; ana when he does tumble to 1t, as he may any minute. he won't dare to open his mouth.' Then the sooner we cienr out the bet l ter" said l. but I looked askance at the | open QoOf, 1OT ny nedu WdS SplHnlilb ehll. When you feel up to it." returned Raf- fles, I've shall stroll out. and I shall do myself the honor of ringing for the lift. The force of habit Is too strong in you, l Bunny I shall shut the window and leave everything exactly as we found 1t. Lord Ernest will probably tumble before he Is badly missed; but then he may come l back to put salt on usi but 1 should like i to know what he can 60 even if he suc- ceeds! Come, Bunny, pull yourself to- gether and you'll he different man when you're in the open air
 And for while I felt one such was my relief at getting ont of these internal mansions with unfettered wrists; this we | managed easily enough: but once more Rallies performance of small part was no less perfect than his more ainbi- tjous work upstars. and sofnethng of the successful artists eintion nassed him as we walked arm in arm across St James ] Park. It was long since I had, known him so pleased with himself. and only too long since he had such reason. T don't think I ever had a brighter idea in my lfe," he said; meyer thought Of It till he was In the next room; never l dreamt of it's coming off so ideally even 1 then, and didn't much care. because we l had him all ways up I'm only sorry you 1 let him knock you out. I was waiting outside the door all the time and 1t made me sick to hear 1t. But I once broke
 
 and not in half such an excellent causep
 Rallies touched all his pockets in his turn, the pockets that contained small ] fortune apiece. and he smiled in my face as we crossed the lighted avenues of the Mall. Next moment he was hailing a . hansom-for I suppose I was stiil pretty 1 pale-and not word would he let me speak until we had aighted as near as was prudent to the flat
 "What a brute I've been Bunny,' he | lx.tt,4c rn1 t1ot, t1.t,t 4.t.- swag. old hoy, and right well you've earned 1t. No. we'll go in hy the wrong door and over the roof It's too late for old Theobald to be still at the play. and too early for him to be safely in his cups"
 So we climbed the many stairs with catlike stealth, and like cats crept out upon the grimy leads. But tonight they were no blacker than their canopy Of sky; not chimneystack stood out against the starless night; one had to feel ones way in order to avoid tripping over the low parapets of the L-shaped walls that ran from roof to basement to light ] the inner rooms. One of these wells was was spanned by n fimsy bridge with iron handrails that felt warm to the touch as Rallies led the way across; hotter and a closer night have never known
 ''The flat will be like an oven." l grum- bled, at the head of our own staircase
 "Then we won't go down." said Rallies, promptly, well slack 1t up here for bit instead. No. Bunny, you stay where you arel I'll fetch you drink and deck-chair, and you shan't come down till you feel more fit"
 And l let him have his way, I will not say as usual for l had even less than my normal power of resistance that night. That villainous uppercutl My head still sang and throbbed. as l seatec myself on one of the aforesaid parapets and buried 1t in my hot hands. Nor was the night one to dispel a headache; there dis- tinct thunder in the air. Thus I sat In a heap and brooded over my mlsadventure, a pretty figure of subordinate villain until the step came for which waited; and it never struck me that " came from the wrong direction.
 You have been quick" said I. simply.
 "Yes." hissed voice recognized: and you've got to be quicked still Here. out with your wrists; no, one Al a time: and If you utter syllable you're a dead man"
 It was Lord Ernest ReiviIie his close | cropped, lron-Rray mustache gleamed through the darkness drawn up over his set teeth. In his hand giittered pair of handcuffs and before knew 1t one had snapped It's jaws about my right wrist.
 Now come this way" said Lord Ernest. showing me a revolver afso "and walt for your friend. And recoliect. single 1 syllable of warning will be your death"
 With that the ruffan led me to the very bridge had just crossed at Rallies heels and handcuffed me to the Iron rail midway across the chasm It no longer felt warm to my touch. but Icy as the blood in my veins
 So this hlgh-born hypocrte had beaten us at our game and hls. and Rallies had met his match at lasti That was the most intolerabe thought. that RaifIes should be down in the fiat on my &C., count, and that l could not warn him of his impending fate; for how was 1t pos- sible without making such an outcry as should bring the mansions about our ears? And there shivered on that wretched plank, chained like Andomeda to the rock. with black infinlty above and below: and before my eyes, now grown familiar with the peculiar dark ness stood Lord Ernest Belville waiting for Rallies to emerge with full hands and unsuspecting heart Taken so horribly unawares, even Raffles must fall an easy prey to a desperado in resource and courage scarcely second to himself. but one whom he had fatally underrated from the beginning. Not thar paused to think how the thing had happened my one concern was for what was to hap pen next
 And what did happen was worse thar my worst forebodngs for first a light | came fickering into the sort of oompan- ion-hatch at the head of the stairs. and H.. l.. IA