Evening star., 1926-11-07

man said "Ho" and moved into the
open.
II think my pocket must have been
picked" | said.
"Oh, do you?" said the harman.
Il had better leave my rare and
address" I suggested.
Who" inquired the harnlan. cold
~. wants your blinking name and
address,"
when things hegan TO happen sud
denly An obviously expert hand
sripped me by the hack Of the neck.
another closed upon he seat Of my
trousers, there MAS rush of air. and
I was rolling across the pavement i'll
the direction of wet and unsd N0fy
gutter The barnan. Giga nttc against
the dirty white front of the pGbhc
house, surveyed me grimly.
That's what comes Of irwin to
snitCh drinks" he said, with what
seemed to me insufferabl rriggish
ness
Those harsh words stunG mo to the
quick | burned with generous wrath
! flung myself on thai harnls0. The
futility OF attacking such colossus
never occurred 10 me. | forgot en-
tirelv that he could put me out of
action With one hand.
A moment later. however. he had
reminded me Of this fact. Even as
made my onslauc an enormous fist
crashed into the side of my head. |
sat down again.
"'Ullo."
was aware. dimly. that some one
was speaking to me, some one who
was not the barnan That athlete
had already dismissed me as a spent
force and returned to his professional
duties. looked M and got sort "f
general impression Of hieneSS ana
blue serge. and then | was lifted TO
my feet.
MY head had begun To clear now,
4VA and / was able to look more
steadily Al my sympat hi"er. The feel
ing came to me thai ! had seen him
before That rod hair. those Glintine
ewes that impressive hulk--it was my
old friend Wilherforce Ellison and no
other-Rattlins Pillson. tn" coming
champion. whom had last seen
fighting at Wonderland under the per-
sonal mana gement of Stanley Feath
erstonehauch Tkridge.
Did = il yer?" inquired Mr.. Bill
eon.
There was only one answer 10 this.
Disordered though my faculties were,
I was clear upon this point. | said
Yes. he did hit me
"'R" said MIR Riilson. and passed
into the hostelry.
II was not Al once that | under
stood the SignifiCa NCc of this move.
The Interpretation | placed upon his
abrupt departure WAS that lie had de-
cided to have some refreshHoent. Only
when the sound of raised voices from
within came pouring through the
door did begin TO suspect that in
attrihuting tn il such Ca!louSness |
might have wrongei that golden ma
ture With the sudden temperance
OF the harr who shot out a II i'm
pelled b1 ..a imperous force and
did a sol, Of backwards foX-trot
across the ement-susp!cion be-
came certainty.
The ha arman. as becomes a man ply
ine his trade in the Ratcliff Highway.
was made Of stern stuff As soon as
he had ma ged to stop himself from
nirouettins. he dashed back into the
bar. And It WAS after the door had
swung 10 again behind him that the
PROCEEDINGS may have been SAID Tor
Ynallv to have begun.
What precisely was going on | was
still too enfeehled To 60 and see. It
sounded like an earthquake. Ard then
somebody blew a police whistle.
There is nlSElF Hi'dt tliV E''''''
of a police whistle. II acts like OH
on the most troubled waters. This
one brought about an instant lull in
the tumult Glasses ceased 10 break.
voices were hushed. and moment
later out came Mr.. Rillson. His nose
was bleeding a little and there was
the scenario of black eye forming
on his face but otherwise there seem
ed nothing much the matter with
him. He sprinted for the nearest cor
ner. I sprinted in his wake. wanted
10 thank him formally. Moreover. |
wanted TO borrow siXpence from him.
The realization that pe was the only
man in the whole wide East End OF
London who was likely to lend me the
money to save me having TO walk
hack 10 Ebury street gave me a rare
burst of speed.
II was not easy 10 overtake him,
for the sound of my pursuing feet
evidently suggested to Mr.. Rillson
that the hunt was up, and he made
good going Eventually. however.
when in addition TO running ! began
70 emit q plaiintive MIR. Billson! |
saw, Mr.. Billscn" at every second
etrdn he eeemed to gather that he
was Among friends.