Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-01-15
CHAPTER VII (Continued.)

politely and With 'I'aftOn, Slf. Ill slightly foreign accent, avoided the col lision that had been imminent. l jumped into d cab and drove straight to SheppardG rooms in Down street AS luck would have it, he was out, but it was relief to find that he was in town. According to the maid, he was to be back in the morning. In consid- erable disappointment l ran down the stairs and banged the front door, and there was my man across the roadway. I confess that l began for the first time to have the feeling of being hunt ed. 1 strode over to him. What the devil do you want?' l asked angrily. ''Sirw said he and looked up at me as if in surprise.
 What the devil do you want!' 1 re- peated.
 There was a slight pause, and with my hand in my pocket l ostentatously cooked the revolver The faint click caught his ear.
 II am desrous to walk about the street. sir,' he said softly. Il have made up my mind to see London by night. It is var beautiful"
 .'Nery well,' thought I. for it was plainly of no use to deal with the ras- cal. You may walk as much as you like. 1 am for d cab
 And into q cab again 1 jumped. "Drve-west-anywh said at last to the questioning cabman. "Fll direct you"
 l had this dilemma now before me that dared not go back to my rooms. The risk was too extravagant. And the question as to where was to pass the night became important, as it was now past II. Of course could go to a hotel, where I should be compara- lively safe, but had no fancy to spend the long hours of darkness awake and on my guard on the chance that this scoundrel would make an attempt on my room. No, l must be rid of him first AS the cab drove off 1 peeped through the little window at the back and saw my squinting friend in con- versation with another man, no doubt the second of the gang.
 The cab passed through Knights bridge and toward Kensington, and then I turned the driver through the park for Bayswater. Presently I was aware of a rattling behind and looking out through my spy hole again perceiv ed a second cab close upon us.
 Very we'll" said 1 to myself. You shall have your wish. A stern chase is a long chase"
 I fancy my cabman must have
 
 chopped and changed his directions a dozen times. and during the next two hours we visited quite half of the me tropOis.
 You will doubtless dub me fool in that 1 didn't forthwith take the shelter of the law and put myself under safe custody. But l had two reasons against that-the one that had a sort of informal bargain with Sercombe not to bring the authorities into this feud, but to fight out q private war; the oth- CT, that I would see these Scoundrels in the internal regions before l sur rendered to them. And when you come to think of it, to call in the police for help ill the distinctly illegal job which occupied me would hardly be i'll taste. So there was nothing for it but the road, and the road it was for the next two hours and more. By that time my cab horse, a fine outstanding chestnut, had fairly run himself down, and so hoped had my pursuers' cab. But of this 1 could not be certain, and, in any case, it was not their object to provoke an open fracaS. As 1 imagined, they merely sought to run me to earth some where. And it was obvious by now that l could not drive about in cabs all night
 Somewhere between and I found myself again in kensington. or. rather. in that region of respectable deSolate and gloomy houses lying about Glou- Ctster road. The chase had to end sol.@A0W We drove up Il road dmly lighted &nd nar.o ow. suppose my cab lhHu mus1 have been almost lS weary a$ l. and probably more sleepy. At aiT r@te. had ceased to gut.e him for some time. He had tnlea the initiative himself, constituting himself. con ceiVe. the guardian of this harmless lu na!ic. 1t all events, it was soon plain tiIttt We Hutl entered {: cut -tpSac. ilr situation priched my resolution to 1he proper point of action. As it fell out, flare of gas streamed from the fan lights in a large and commodous house near the bottom of the road, seeming to show that the inmates had not vet retired, and, acting on my resolution in second, l stopped the man and jumped out before the door. As I did so the second cab also came to a pause. $ My cab turned slowly round and stop ped abreast of his fellow. I would S swear l saw the two figures alisht. God knows what the cablnen made of 1t all pulled at tho bell but for a tune could get no answer. But at last. ana i'll response to a louder peal than usual, the door was opened, and there confronted me a tall. slight man some