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 in the bowler hat who had put the thing into ray head the night before.

"Good Lord," said I, "that you should fluster a man so, when I dare say she had no more thought of doing such a thing than of marrying Nicky! But that's always the way with policemen—they aren't content with what their eyes can see, but want to look at it through a microscope. Rob him? Not she, so long as he'll play for her."

I was pretty well through the wood at this time, and when the sun began to shine it found me on the high-road leading to the railway station. I had walked perhaps a mile down this when I saw a man on ahead of me, going my way, but slower than I was; and at the second look I recognized him. He was the little detective I had laughed at.

"Halloa, there!" I shouted, mighty glad to get company in my walk, "what are you doing abroad at this time of the morning?"

He waited for me to come up to him, and then he cried;

"Why, it's Bigg—and in a hurry, too!"

"You've put your thumb on it," said I. "And you didn't catch the count, I make sure, or you wouldn't be here."

"Catch him!" exclaimed he; "no, not quite. You don't take birds like him in the nest. He's too many sentinels."

"Is the charge a heavy one?" I asked as we walked along together.