, 1905-12-07
y NJ :! Raffles, |
sa Ole Amateur
Ss12 Craftsman
# HMW0aWtd~ IS. By e. w. HoRNUNG y

was limp. his hair matted, his boots
thick with dust
1.-The police?" I whispered aghast.
.'Oh. dear, no; only old Baird"
Baird! But wasn't it Baird who
took the emeralds?"
at was"
"Then how came hc to chase your
MY dear fellow, -I'll tell you If you
give me Il chance. It's really nothing
to get in the beast excited about. Old
Baird has at last spotted that I'm not
quite the common cracksman l would
have him think me. So he's been doing
his best to Ia to my burrow."
And you call that nothing!'
ct would be'somethlnS if he had sue
ceeded, but lire has still to 10 that. /
admit, however, that he made me sit
up for the time being. 1t all comcs of
going on tire job 50 far from home.
There vas tue old brute with the whole
thing in his morning paper He knew
it mist have been done by some fellow
who could pass himself OF for Il gen.
tlemnn, and l saw his eyebrows 90 up
the momeu 1 told him l was the man.
with the same old twang that you
could cut with Il paper knife. / did ny
best to get out of it-Swore / had Il pal
who was a real swell--but / saw ver-
plainly that l had given myself away.
He gave VI haggling.l He paid my
price as though he enjoyed doing It
But i felt Lin following nc when l
made tracks. though of course 1 didn't
turn r0und to see."
why not:"
My denr Bunny, it's the very worst
thing You can do. AS long as you look
unsuspecting they'll keep their dis
tance, and so long as they keep their
distance o stand 4 chance. Once
Chow tina you know you're being fol
lowed and it's fight or fight for all
you're worth. Il lever even looked
round, Inc mind you never do in the
same hole. l just hurried up to Black
friars and booked for High street.
k~ensfngton, at the top of my voice,
and as the train was leaving Sloane
square out l hoped and up all those
stairs like Il ~lampliShter and round to
the studio by the back streets. Well.
to be ON the safe side. l lay low there
all the afternoon. hcaring nothing In
NN~ AsN''t 'tAAA S-hhs " hHhA ho
l had n window to look through i'll
stead OF that beast!y skyIight. How
ever, the coast seemed clear enough.
IL thus far it was my mere idea that
he would follow me. There was moth
ing to show he had. So at last / march.
ed ont in my proper ~rig-almost
straight into old Baird's arms"
"Wha on earth did you do:"
"Wn1Red past him as though I had
never set eyes on him in my life. and
didn't then; tool Il hanson in the
Kings road and drove like the deuce
to Chaplain junction; rushed on to the
nearest platform without a ticket.
jumped into Ii first train I saw. got
out at Twlckenham. walked full tilt
back to Richmond. took the District to
Charirg Cross, and here l am. ready
for a tub and n change and the best
dinner the club can give us. 1 came
to you first because l. thought You
might be getting anxious. Come round
with me and l won't keep you long"
You're certain you've given him the
slip?' l said as we put on our hats.
Certain enough. but we can make
assurance doubly sure" said Rafles.
and went to my window, where he
stood for n minute or two looking
dow into the street
"All rightT' l asked him.
All. right said he, and we went
downstairs forthwith and so to the
Albany arm in arm.
But we were both rather silent OH
the way. /. for my part, was wonder
inp ,N-Int InIinS ,rA,,Il do pl,p,,t tI,,
studio in Chelsea. whittier at all events
he had been successfully logged. To
me the point seemed one OF immediate
Importance. bnt when I mentioned it
he said there was time enough to think
about that. His one other remark was
made after we had nodded, in Bond
street, to n young blood of our ac-
quaintance who. happened to be get
ting himself a bad name.
Poor Jack Rutter!" sal Rallies
with Il sigh. "Nothing's sadder than
to see a fellow going to the bad like
that. He's about mad with drink and
debt, poor devil! Did you see his eye?
Odd that we should have met him to-
night, by the way. It's old Baird who's
said to have skinned him. by God,
but I'd like to skin old Baird!"
And his tone took n sudden low fury.
made the more noticeable by another
long silence. which lasted, indeed.
throughout an admirable dinner ut the
club and for some time after we had
settled down in a quiet corner of the
smoking room with our coffee and
cigars. Then at last I saw Rafies look
ing Mt me with his lazy smile and !
knew that the morose ft was ut an
end.
II dare say you wonder what I've
been thinking about all this timer" said
he. 1--WE been thinking what rot 1t is
to go doing things by halves!"