The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-16

and only made them keener on the scent. 1t was too late to say anything when you told me. But the very next time I showed my noze outside heard a camera click as passed. and the fiend was a person with velvet eyes. Then there was a lul, That hapened weeks ago. They had sent me to Italy for Identification by Count Cor l bucci.s
 Hut this Is all theory" I exclaimed How on earth can you know7s
 T don't know" said Rallies, but I should like to bot. Our friends tho blood hound is hanging about the corner near the pillar box. Look through my window, It's dark in there, and tell me who he Is
 The man was too far away for me to swear to his face, but he wore covert coat of un- English length, ana the lamp across the road played steadily on his boots. They were very yellow and they made no noise when he TOOK a turn. strained my eSes. and all at once l re- membered the thn-soled, low-heeled. splay I yellow boots of the insidious foreigner with tke soft eyes and the brown-paper face whom I had turned from the door as palpable fraud. The ring at the bell was the first I had heard of him, there had been no warning step upon the stairs and my suspicious eye nad seacned his i feet for rubber soles.
 Its the fellow" I said, returning to Rallies, and I described his boots l Rallies was delighted.
 Well done, Bunny; you're coming on, said he. ''No I wonder If he's been over here all the time or if they sent him over expressly? You did better than you think in spotting those boots for they can only have been made in Italy. and that looks like the special envoy. But it's no use speculating. must find o1t. loofls like the special envoy But it's no | "Well?"
 l When he gets tired of 1t shall return the compliment and follow him.
 Not alone" said firmiy
 Well, we'll see: we'll see at once" said Rallies, rising. Out with the gas, Bunny, while l take look. Thank you. Now wait at bit yes. He's chuclxed if. he off already, and so am IT. I But slipped to our outer dor and held 1 the passage.
 1 T don't let you go alone you know, 1 You can't come with me in pajamas s
 Now l see why you made me put them onr'
 Emmy if you don't shift I shall have to shift you. This is my very private one man show. But I'll be back in an hour therei"
 You swear?"
 By all my gods"
 l gave in. How could help giving in He did not look the man that he had l been, but you never knew with Rallies, and l could not have him lay a hand on me. l let him go with a shrug and my blessing, then ran into his room to see ] the last of him from the window The creature in the coat and boots had reached the end of our little street where l he appeared to have hesitated so that Rallies was just in time to see which way he turned. And Rallies was after a n n nd boI h al most reached the corner when my at 1 tention was distracted from the alert nonchalance of his gait. I was marvel I ling that it alone had not long ago be- trayed him for nothing about him was so unconsciously characteristic when sud- denly l realized that Rallies was not the only person in the little lonely street. Another pedestrian had entered from the other end, man heavily built and clad. with an astrakhan collar to his coat on ] this warm night and a black slouch hat | that hid his features from my birds-eye l view. His steps were the short and l shuffling ones of man advanced in l years and in fatty degeneration, but of sudden they stopped beneath my very eyes. I could have dropped a marble into the dented crown of the black felt hat Then at the same moment Rallies turned the corner without looking round, and the big man below raised both his
 
 only the huge white mustache, like a flying gull, as Rallies had described 1t. for at glance I divined that this was his arch-enemy. the Count Corbucci him self
 I did not stop to consider the subtle ties of the system by which the real hunter Jagged behind while his subordi- nate pointed the quarry like sporting dog I left the Count shuffiing onward faster than before, and 1 jumped into some clothes as though the flats were on fire. If the Count was going to follow Rallies in his turn then l would follow the Count in mine. and there Wauld De a midnight procession of us through the town But I found no sign of him in the empty street and no sign in the Earl's Court road that looked as empty for all its length save for natural ene- my standing like a waxwork with glim- mer at his belt
 "Officer," I gaspod, "have you seen anything of an old gentleman with big white mustache?
 The unlicked cub Of common constapie seemed to eye me the more suspiciousiy for the flattering form Of my address.
 '1rook a hansom, said he at length.
 A hanson! Then he was not following the others on foot; there was no guess ing his game. But something must be said or done.
 He's a friend of mine.'' I explained, .sand I want to overta1Se him. Did you hear where he told the fellow to driver
 A curt negative was the policeman's reply to that, and if ever I take part in a night assault-at-arms. revolver yer sus baton in the back kitchen l know which member of the Metropolitan police force I should like for my opponent.
 If there was no overtalSing the Count, however. it should be a comparatively simple matter in the case of the couple oi. foot and I wildly hailed the first hansom that crawled into my ken. I must tell Rallies who it was that had seen. The Earrs Court road was long and the time since he vanished in it but few short minutes. I d.ove down the length
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