Again he struck a match, which disclosed the ashen features of the landlord of the "Dove and Easel." Without hesitation the foreman picked him up and bundled him into the pantechnicon, and once more barred the door. As he turned back, he saw the hall door open slightly. At first he thought it was his imagination. As he watched, the door continued to open stealthily, inch by inch. A figure appeared. Dawn was just breaking. The figure crept along by the side of the house. At first the the foreman watched, then, seeing that his man was likely to escape, he sprang out. The figure ran, the foreman ran, and ran the faster. Then the fugitive stopped, and facing round caught the foreman a blow in the chest as he came on unable to stop. With a yell of rage the foreman lifted his pistol and brought it down with a crash crash upon his opponent's head. In & grey heap the trespasser dropped. Another match was struck, revealing Sir Charles Custance's rubicund features, down which a slow trickle of blood wound

doors to, barred and padlocked them, and sat on the tail-board watching the greyness of the dawn steal through the trees, struggling to keep himself awake. He was still so occupied when, at halfpast seven, a distant rumble announced the arrival of the expected pantechnicon from Lowestoft. As it slowly lumbered up the drive, the foreman grinned, and he grinned more broadly when he saw Bindle slip off from the tailboard, followed by Ginger.

"Mornin', Bindle; mornin', Ginger," he called out politely. "Slep' well?" Bindle and Ginger grinned. "Now, one o' you two go an' get my breakfast, and the other telephone for the perlice." The men stared at him. "Ginger," he continued complacently, "you'll find two eggs and some bacon in the 'all, and a stove in the kitchen, an' a pot of coffee which only wants warmin' up. I'm 'ungry, Ginger-as 'ungry as 'ell is for you, Ginger. Bindle, give my compliments to the perlice at Lowestoft, and ast them to send four scarlet peelers over 'ere at once to take charge o' what I caught larst night.

"Yes, Bindle, ole sport, I've got 'em all-all in all in Black Maria," and he jerked his thumb in the direction of the empty pantechnicon. "All yer very dear pals, ole son. Like to see 'em?"

Bindle looked puzzled; but when the foreman had explained, his grin transcended in its breadth and goodhumour that of his superior. Then the foreman changed the

style of his idiom, and his subordinates went their ways as he had intended and directed that they should.

The foreman was just finishing his breakfast by wiping a piece of bread round the plate, when there reached him the sound of a motor-car chunking its way along in the distance. The news of the night's doings had spread rapidly, and a small crowd was collected round the gates of Holmleigh. Bindle grinned through the bars, and occasionally threw to the curious neighbours bits of information. The car approached and drew up. In it was a tall, spare man of about thirty-eight or forty, with thin, angular features. He seemed surprised to see the crowd; but turning the car through the open gates drove slowly up to the house. The crowd recognised the stranger as Mr Richard Miller, the new tenant of Holmleigh. He nodded to the foreman, who immediately descended from the tail-board and approached.

"Good mornin', sir," he 'said. "You're 'ere earlier than I 'ad 'oped, sir; but that's on the lucky side. I've been 'aving rather a lively night, sir."

At this moment there was a loud and continuous pounding from within the pantechnicon that he had just left.

"If you're not quiet I'll shoot, God forgive me, but I will," he yelled over his shoulder. Then turning to Mr Miller he winked jocosely. "Gettin' a bit impatient, sir. I've 'ad 'em there for several hours now. Ah? 'ere's the

perlice!"

As he spoke another car appeared round the bend of the drive, and an Inspector in uniform and three plain-clothes men got out.

"Now there's goin' to be some fun," he chuckled to himself as, addressing Mr Miller, he told of the happenings of the night before. When he had finished, the features of Bindle, who had been relieved by Ginger, were suffused with a grin so broad and goodhumoured that it contrasted strangely with the astonishment written on the faces of the others.

"That's the story, gentlemen, and there's my bag," jerking his thumb in the direction of the pantechnicon. "Four of 'em there are, I counted 'em carefully, an' every one a Charles Peace. You'd better be careful as you let 'em out," he added. "I 'adn't time to search 'em. They came so quick, like flies in summer."

The Inspector breathed hard, Mr Miller looked grave and concerned, the plain - clothes men looked blank, Bindle looked cheerful, whilst the foreman looked as a man looks only once in the course of his life. Deliberately he approached the tail of the van, undid the lock, removed the bar, threw open the doors, and stood quietly aside. For fully half a minute nothing happened, then the portly form of Sergeant Wrannook emerged.

"Wrannock !" gasped the Inspector from Lowestoft. The Sergeant forgot to salute his superior officer. He was humiliated. His collar was torn,

one eye was black, and his nose was swollen. Closely following him came Sir Charles Custance and Mr Greenhales, who between them supported Mr Gandy, wheezing pitifully. All were much battered. Sir Charles's face was covered with blood, Mr Greenhales had lost his wig and his false teeth, whilst Mr Gandy had lost the power to move.

"What in Heaven's name is the meaning of this?" asked the Inspector from Lowestoft.

"It means," thundered Sir Charles, who was the first to find his voice, "that we have been brutally and murderously assaulted by a band of ruffians."

"That's me and me only!" commented the foreman complacently. "I'm the band, ole cockie, and don't you forget it."

"It means, ," said Sergeant Wrannock, "that having information that this house was packed with firearms, I came to make investigation and

"Got caught, ole son," interpolated the foreman.

"Hold your tongue!" shouted Mr Greenhales, in a hollow, toothless voice, dancing with fury.

"Hold your tongue! You shall suffer for this."

At last, from the incoherent shoutings and reproaches in which the words "German," German," "Spies," "Herr Müller," were bandied back and forth, Mr Miller and the Inspector from Lowestoft pieced together the story of how four patriots had been overcome by one foreman pantechnicon - man. The In

spector from Lowestoft turned to Mr Miller.

“As a matter of form, sir, and in the execution of my duty, I should be glad to know if it is true that your house is full of arms and ammunition?" he asked politely.

"Of arms, certainly, In"Mr spector, most certainly,' Miller replied. "I am supposed to have the finest collection of firearms in the country. Come and see them, or such as are unpacked."

And the Inspector from Lowestoft looked at Sergeant Wrannock, and the plainclothes constables looked away from him, and Sir Charles and Mr Greenhales looked lustfully round for Bindle; but Bindle was not to be seen. As the Inspector and Mr Miller, with the foreman, entered the house, Sir Charles and Mr Greenhales walked down the drive as men stupefied, leaving the host of the "Dove and Easel" wheezing upon the gravel. Sergeant Wrannock watched the doorway through which his superior officer had disappeared as a man might look who had suddenly been petrified by a great horror, and the three plainclothes men stood aside talking to Ginger, who was relating to them some biographical particulars of his hero-foreman.

A little farther down the drive, edging its way cautiously nearer, was the crowd. Ginger had deserted his post: for the first time in his life he was a man of importance, whose words were listened to with eagerness and respect.

HERBERT IVES.

"BISMILLAH!" exclaimed my rais, and the cry was re-echoed by the boat's crew, as we approached the west shore of that beautiful gem of the Nile, Ghezireh-al-Zag, the Flowery Island. We had but to coast round the south of the island and thus arrive at Assouan, our anchorage, the crew meanwhile rejoicing at the long rest they would have after the voyage, and the rais contemplating in advance the piastres he was to receive as part payment for his services. It was noon when we reached the island. I determined to remain on the west side till the evening and then proceed to the town, if such a title may be given to a collection of mudbuilt houses, half of which were without any roof other than that which is obtained by placing a few loose branches of the palm-tree transversely from wall to wall.

There is nothing to relieve the monotony of the voyage for some hours previous to arriving within sight of the island, which may account for the delight I felt at the beauties it presented to me. The Nile was then as it were exhausted,

leaving masses of granite of every variety of form uncovered, which at other seasons of the year would have been less conspicuous. Having fixed on a tongue of land terminated by huge rocks through which the waters had in the course of time forced a passage, leaving

three sides smooth as marble and shining with the rays of the reflected sun, now in its full splendour, I had the boat

moored. On my left was

desolation and barrenness, on my right one of the richest and thickest groves of palm-trees I had seen. I looked down the Nile over the granite rocks, and behind me I might have fancied myself out off from all further progress by the hills which closed my view. boat's crew were soon extended on the ground at some distance out of sight under the shade of the trees to enjoy the Arab's supreme delight, repose. servant landed to obtain provisions, and I was left alone.

My

My

The left bank of the river is not a stone's throw from the island of Elephantina. On an extreme point, at a short distance, terminating the ridge of the Mokattam1 which advances

towards the river, and marking a sloping descent to it, stands a ruined Sheik's tomb. Below this are the ruins of a convent half choked up with sand and known by the name of St George. Round the point a track of cultivable land is left by the Mokattam taking a more respectful leave of the Nile, and assuming its blackest colouring.

My boat's matted covering over the half-deck bespoke clearly that it had a Frank on board, and in my days of travel Franks in those regions were not so common as they since have been. They were not, however, subject to the contumely of earlier times: the French had beaten Mamelukes and Arabs, the English had beaten the French; therefore Frenchman or Englishman was a subject to respect, and the latter in a higher degree, inasmuch as he had shown most power, which is the only criterion by which an Arab or Egyptian guides his opinion of a fellow-creature.

I had been contemplating for some time the rich hues and deep colouring on my right and in front of me, comparing them with the barren appearance of the shores on my left, when I was attracted by a figure sallying forth from the Sheik's tomb. He at first remained attentively watching my boat, and seemed to be looking about to discover who were within it, and whether the crew were near. My own presence he could easily distinguish, as the matted walls at each end of my roof had been thrown

down to favour a slight breeze which had sprung up and to give me the advantage of a through-draught. I believe I was making a sketch or some memorandum of the spot when his figure attracted me. As he caught my eye he spread a carpet, and began to say his prayers with all the abstraction for which the followers of Mahomet are remarkable. As soon as he performed the last ceremony of nodding his head to the right and to the left to the attendant good and evil angel, he resumed his legs, entered the tomb, and issued forth again with a spear in one hand and a sword slung diagonally across his back, while his other hand assisted him in shouldering what appeared to be a large club, but the use of which I was soon to learn. It was high time to look at my own means of defence. I examined my pistols, put them in their usual place for action, namely, one in each inside pocket of a loose nankeen jacket I wore, and girded on my trusty hanger. I knew that my pistols would keep a dozen common Arabs at bay, and therefore was not disposed to shout for the aid of my boatmen. There was evidently going to be an adventure, and I was desirous of having it all to myself. I watched my man, who descended slowly to the water's edge, where he stopped and threw down his apparent club. He observed I did not flinch from my position, which made him begin to think of his own, for he was now near enough for me to have sent