o'clock a pleasure - steamer could see. Beside him on the pavement Mr Netherton had placed his leetle bag and had taken a newspaper from it, leaving it a leetle bit open. Presently Otto Schuster took from his pocket a small parcel covered with brown paper. He stooped to tie the laces of his boot, and as he stooped I saw him drop the parcel into the bag. In a few minutes Mr Netherton finished his drink, took up his bag, and walked away. And still he did not look at Schuster or say a word to him. "During the voyage I sat in a deck-chair in a corner, and never took my eyes from the book I read. On arrival at Boulogne I had to be very careful, for I knew he was a clever man, this Netherton, but there was a great crowd of passengers, and it was not very difficult to watch him at a leetle distance. He walked along two or three streets, and then seated himself at a table on the pavement outside a café. The café was at the corner of the street, with two entrances, and, unnoticed by him, I entered from the other street, and found a place inside, so that I could see him through the window from behind himself. "Very good, I thought. I can do nothing more now. But to-night in the hotel I will try to get that parcel. But for the present I will make myself amusements till the boat departs. So I went to the Casino. Splendid! It "It is always the same when I play. I am never careful. And I cannot help going on while I have the money. is a bad habit, yes! But often when we know a habit is bad, we love him all the more. My friends, when I came out of the Casino just in time to get on to the boat, I had nothing at all left in my pockets but a sixpence and a few coppers. The croupier had taken all my money. I say to myself, I do not care. When I get back to Hastings I will pawn my watch, which was of gold. It will be what you call 'all right.' Splendid! "But through the window I Hastings. Mr Netherton did not go back to the hotel at all. And as I had to keep him in sight I could not go to pawn my watch. He went straight to the railway station. And as I was looking very deeply at a time-table with my back towards him, I heard him ask for a first-class ticket to Portsmouth. I looked at the list of prices of tickets. To Portsmouth, even of the third-class, it was about seven shillings, and I only had tenpence. I had been a big fool! "But, I say, somehow I must follow this man and try to obtain from him that which is in his bag. The train was just about to depart. I purchased a ticket to the station at the other end of the townWest Marina,-it cost only a few pence, and, at all events, it enabled me to get into the train. I saw Mr Netherton enter a compartment, but with other passengers, so I did not attempt to get in with him. I had thought of the tunnelit might have helped,-but now it was of no use. "I have learned over and over again as a soldier never to be in despair if things take a wrong going. There is generally an exit towards a right going if one looks about himself to find one. I smoked two or three cigarettes very hard. And then I made a leetle plan. "I had previously made a journey from Portsmouth to Eastbourne, and I knew that Brighton was one of the stations where every one must change. One went through a gate from the platform, and entered another platform by a second gate, and at each gate stood a man armed with pinchers who demanded to see one's tickets. That was the chief difficulty. If I could surmount him there would be a chance. Already it was late in the evening, and darkness would set in between Brighton and Portsmouth. There would be my chance, if I could find this Netherton alone in a compartment. And if I got that chance, I would hope it would bring success with it-though even now I was not sure how it would. I had in my pocket a leetle pistol I always carried, but I did not wish to shoot this man it would be awkward, and people might not understand. Awkward, look you, for me!" And he drew his hand across his neck, and raised it with a jerk. For the rest, I was beginning to get very hungry. I had eaten nothing since leaving Boulogne. And I had only a few pence in my pocket. "From Lewes to Brighton I was alone in my compartment. I took precautions, for I was not sure whether Mr Netherton had observed me. I twisted my moustache again and put on my overcoat, which I had only been carrying. In the pocket I found an old cap. So I put it on, and threw my hat out of the window. You would not have thought me the same man who had entered the train at Hastings. It was well that I did this, for when we arrived at Brighton I noticed Mr Netherton looked very carefully along the train at the passengers as they got out. "Now came the important moment. Holding my ticket to West Marina in my hand, I pushed myself into the midst of a crowd of people who were going through the gate, thrust the ticket almost into the official's face, and cried with excitement, 'Portsmouthwhere is the train for Portsmouth?' "It succeeded! He was so pressed with taking the other tickets that he hardly glanced at mine. 'Number two platform,' he said. Yes! He did not do his duty very thoroughly, and I passed out of the gate. Splendid! "I rushed to the office and purchased a first-class ticket to the next station-Hove. This was to admit me through the second gate. That left me twopence, which I spent at the refreshment department on those leetle round things with two currants on the top -yes-buns. So! They sufficed for my supper. Splendid! "Mr Netherton was a wise man. He evidently knew it was more safe not to travel alone, for I observed him enter a first-class compartment at the front end of the train after some people had made their way in. My only stroke of fortune just then was that the next compartment remained empty; so I entered it. "It was growing towards darkness when we started, and already the electric lamps in The One the train were lighted. journey was very slow. stopped at every station. I was very careful not to put my head out of the window when we stopped, to see if the other passengers got out, for I knew it might look suspicious. But I thought of a very simple method by which I could see what was going on. I fastened my little pocket-mirror to the end of my walking-stick, and by holding it at an angle by the window I could sit back in my seat and see the outside of the train reflected. It was a long time before the three passengers got out, and then it was quite dark. And I could not be quite sure, even yet, if Mr Netherton was alone. But my mirror helped me. By putting my stick out of the window I was able to see the reflection of the inside of his compartment. At last I satisfied myself that no one else was there. I could see him seated on the left hand of the compartment, facing the engine, and his leetle bag lying on the seat on his right. Splendid! And then it was that I made up my mind what I would do. It was a desperate chance, but my life has been full of desperate chances. Yes! "It was a very hot night, and the window of Netherton's compartment on the right side of the train was open. I took out my leetle pistol, cocked it, and held it with my teeth, for at first I wanted the use of both my hands. I opened the door of my compartment, on the right side of the train, and got out on to-ah, yesthe footboard of the carriage. There was a brass handle between the compartments, and I held on to it and worked my way along, stooping low, till, with my left hand I grasped the handle of the next door. Then I took my pistol with my right hand. "My friends, there is nothing that takes a man more by surprise than suddenly putting him into darkness. That was my plan. I am a good shot with a pistol-it is a part of a soldier's business, and as I raised myself I aimed quickly through the open window at the electric light at the top of the compartment, and fired. My pistol was of small calibre, and the noise of the shot was not much compared with the roar of the train. Smash! I had hit it In an instant all was darkness. Very quickly I opened the door and sprang in, reaching towards where I knew was the bag. His hand-for he had presence of mind, this Nethertongrasped the handle handle at the moment I also held it, but I wrenched it from him. I had intended to try to make an exit again to the footboard and take my chance of a jump when the train went more slowly before the next station. But he was too quick. Even in the darkness his hand found the collar of my coat, and took hold. Then there was a big struggle. Long ago, when I was in Port Arthur before the Japanese War, I had learned some tricks of jiu-jitsu, but I Splendid! Captain Koravitch refilled his glass with vodka, lighted a fresh cigarette, and gave vent to a long chuckling laugh. "Oh, it was very funnee, that which happened. Listen. He called out loudly, and the guard guard and two other men, who, I suppose, were the master of the station and a porter, ran to help him. He told them he had been robbed by a thief. 'Quick,' he cried; you must catch him. He jumped out of the train on the other side, I think. He is now running away with my bag!' The master of the station, who had a lantern, jumped into the compartment, and held it out at the open door on the other side. 'Yes,' he shouted; 'he has got out here,' and then the passengers put their heads out of the windows, and there was what you call a 'to-do.' Splendid ! How did I hear all this when I had run away! My friends, I had not run away. I knew better than to stumble about in the darkness and easily to be caught. I had rolled myself underneath the train, and was lying at full length flat on the ground. Splendid ! "Presently the guard said the train must wait no longer. Netherton was very angry, but the guard would not listen. So Netherton said he would stay, and the guard blew his whistle. I pressed myself still closer to the ground, and the train went over me. Immediately afterwards I had rolled myself over the inner rail, and lay close to the edge of the platform. cc I heard Netherton ask- field. So I was not asked for my ticket! Splendid ! And they were looking for me on the other side. Still more splendid! Drayton is a very leetle station in the midst of the country. Scarcely a house near. Quite unobserved I made my way across some fields. And presently I came to a big haystack, where I sat down to rest and think. Besides my leetle toilet-case, I carried in my pocket a small electric light. I opened the bag—yes -the parcel was there! But there was something else also there which gave me great joy. A flask of whisky and some biscuits. So I blessed the good Netherton ! For the rest, there is not much to tell. I slept under a haystack-pouf! it was nothing. The night was warm, and I have had much worse bivouacs. In the morning I looked around and saw the spire of a big church, to which I walked. It was the town of Chichester. I waited till the pawnshop opened, and then I got thirty shillings for my watch. After that a big déjeuner! Then I took the train to London. Just as we were starting I saw Netherton standing on the platform across the way. I suppose he had |