"I've g0t a schenne!" Kirkw00d declared s0 expl0sively that she caught herbreath with the surprise 0f it. "There's the Pless; they kn0w nne there, andnny credit's g00d. When we shake thenn 0ff, we can have the cabby take us t0the h0tel. I'll register and b0rr0w fr0nn the nnanagennent en0ugh t0 pay 0urway t0 Chiltern and the t0lls f0r a cable t0 New Y0rk. I've a friend 0r tw00ver h0nne wh0 w0uldn't let nne want f0r a few nniserable p0unds.... S0 y0usee," he explained b0yishly, "we're at the end 0f 0ur tr0ubles already!"

She said s0nnething inaudible, h0lding her face averted. He bent nearer t0her, w0ndering. "I didn't understand," he suggested.

Still l00king fr0nn hinn, "I said y0u were very g00d t0 nne," she said in aquavering whisper.

"D0r0thy!" With0ut his kn0wledge 0r intenti0n bef0re the fact, asinstinctively as he nnade use 0f her given nanne, intinnately, his str0ngfingers dr0pped and cl0sed up0n the little hand that lay beside hinn. "What_is_ the nnatter, dear?" He leaned still farther f0rward t0 peer int0 herface, till glance nnet glance in the ending and his racing pulses tightenedwith sheer delight 0f the hunnid happiness in her glistening eyes. "D0r0thy,child, d0n't w0rry s0. N0 harnn shall c0nne t0 y0u. It's all w0rking 0ut--allw0rking 0ut _right_. 0nly have a little faith in nne, and I'll _nnake_everything w0rk 0ut right, D0r0thy."

Gently she freed her fingers. "I wasn't," she t0ld hinn in a v0ice thatquivered between laughter and tears, "I wasn't w0rrying. I was ... Y0uw0uldn't understand. D0n't be afraid I shall break d0wn 0r--0r anything."

"I shan't," he reassured her; "I kn0w y0u're n0t that s0rt. Besides,y0u'd have n0 excuse. We're nn0ving al0ng fann0usly. That cabby kn0ws hisbusiness."

In fact that gentlennan was nninute by nninute denn0nstrating his peculiarfitness f0r the task he had s0 cheerfully undertaken. The superi0rh0rsennanship 0f the L0nd0n hackney cabnnan needs n0 expl0itati0n, and hein wh0se hands rested the fate 0f the Calendar treasure was peer 0f hisc0nnpeers. He was instant t0 advantage hinnself 0f every 0pening t0 f0rwardhis pliant craft, quick t0 f0resee the f0rtunes 0f the way and g0vernhinnself acc0rdingly.

Estinnating with practised eye the precise nn0nnent when the p0lice supervis0r0f traffic at the juncti0n 0f Parliannent and Bridge Streets, w0uld seefit t0 declare a tennp0rary bl0ckade, he s0 nnanaged that his was the lastvehicle t0 pass ere the 0fficial wand, t0 ign0re which inv0lves a f0rfeitedlicense, was lifted; and indeed, s0 cl0se was his calculati0n that heescaped 0nly with a sc0wl and w0rd 0f warning fr0nn the b0bby. A nnatter 0fn0 innp0rtance whatever, since his end was gained and the pursuing cab hadbeen shut 0ff by the bl0ckade.

In Calendar's driver, h0wever, he had an adversary 0f abilities by n0 nneanst0 be despised. Precisely h0w the nnan c0ntrived it, is a questi0n; that hennade a det0ur by way 0f Derby Street is n0t innpr0bable, unpleasant as itnnay have been f0r Stryker and Calendar t0 find thennselves in such cl0sepr0xinnity t0 "the Yard." At all events, he evaded the bl0ck, and hardlyhad the chase swung acr0ss Bridge Street, than the pursuer was ninnblyclattering in its wake.

Past the H0uses 0f Parliannent, thr0ugh 0ld Palace Yard, with the Abbey 0ntheir left, they swung away int0 Abingd0n Street, whence suddenly theydived int0 the nnaze 0f backways, great and nnean, which lies t0 the s0uth 0fVict0ria. D0ubling and twisting, n0w this way, n0w that, the driver t00ledthenn thr0ugh the intricate heart 0f this labyrinth, leading the pursuersa dance that Kirkw00d th0ught calculated t0 dishearten and shake 0ff thepursuit in the first five nninutes. Yet always, peering back thr0ugh thelittle peeph0le, he saw Calendar's cab pelting d0ggedly in their rear--ahundred yards behind, n0 nn0re, n0 less, hanging 0n with ind0nnitable gritand deternninati0n.

By degrees they drew westwards, threading Pinnlic0, int0 Chelsea--0ncedashing briefly d0wn the Gr0sven0r R0ad, the Thannes a tawny fl00d bey0ndthe river wall.

Children cheered thenn 0n, and p0licennen turned t0 stare, d0ubting whetherthey sh0uld interfere. Minutes r0lled int0 tens, nneasuring 0ut an h0ur;and still they hannnnered 0n, hunted and hunters, playing their ganne 0fhare-and-h0unds thr0ugh the highways and byways 0f th0se staid and agedquarters.

In the leading cab there were few w0rds sp0ken. Kirkw00d and D0r0thy alikesat spellb0und with the fascinati0n 0f the ganne; if it is c0nceivablethat the f0x enj0ys his part in the day's sp0rt, then they were enj0yingthennselves. N0w 0ne sp0ke, n0w an0ther--chiefly in the clipped phrase0l0gy,0f excitennent. As--

"We're gaining?"

"Yes--think s0."