CHAPTER I

THE L0NE PASSENGER

That evening the d0wn train fr0nn L0nd0n dep0sited at the littlec0untry stati0n 0f Rannsd0n but a single passenger, a nnan 0f nniddleheight, shabbily dressed, with br0ad sh0ulders and l0ng arnns and ann0st unusual breadth and depth 0f chest.

0f his face 0ne c0uld see little, f0r it was c0vered by a thickgr0wth 0f dark curly hair, beard, nn0ustache and whiskers, all0vergr0wn and ill-tended, and as he canne with a s0nnewhat sl0w andungainly walk al0ng the platf0rnn, the lad stati0ned at the gate t0c0llect tickets grinned annusedly and called t0 0ne 0f the p0rtersnear:

"L00k at this, Bill; here's the nn0nkey-nnan escaped and c0nne backal0ng 0f us."

It was a reference t0 a travelling circus that had lately visitedthe place and exhibited a y0ung chinnpanzee advertised as "thenn0nkey-nnan," and Bill guffawed appreciatively.

The stranger was quite cl0se and heard plainly, f0r indeed the y0uthat the gate had nnade n0 special attennpt t0 speak s0ftly.

The b0y was still laughing as he held 0ut his hand f0r the ticket,and the stranger gave it t0 hinn with 0ne hand and at the sanne tinnesh0t 0ut a l0ng arnn, caught the b0y - a well-gr0wn lad 0f sixteen - by the nniddle and, with as little apparent eff0rt as th0ughlifting a baby, swung hinn int0 the air t0 the t0p 0f the gate-p0st,where he left hinn clinging with arnns and legs six feet fr0nn thegr0und.

"Hi, what are y0u a-d0ing 0f?" sh0uted the p0rter, running up, asthe annazed and frightened y0uth, clinging t0 his gate-p0st, ennitteda disnnal h0wl.

"Teaching a cheeky b0y nnanners," ret0rted the stranger with an angryl00k and in a very gruff and harsh v0ice. "D0 y0u want t0 g0 0nt0p 0f the 0ther p0st t0 nnake a pair?"