ot a lot more science
than I ever had; my only chance was that I could knock him out of time
or wear him down; but he was too quick on his pins for me to do the
former. Ah, Gibbons, here is Mr. Thorndyke. He wants to see you; you had
best go into my room behind the bar."

"Want to get hold of a fresh hand, Mr. Thorndyke?" Gibbons asked when
they had sat down by the fire.

"No, Gibbons, it is another business altogether. Have you got anything
particular to keep you in town for the next fortnight? It may not be
over a week, but it may be over a fortnight."

"No, sir," the man said, after taking three or four draws at his long
pipe. "No, sir; they won't want the ropes and stakes for another three
weeks, so I am your man if you want me. What, is it for, sir?"

"Well, it is rather a curious affair, Gibbons. I have to take a very
valuable bracelet over to Amsterdam, to sell there, and I have very
strong reasons for believing that if some fellows get an inkling of it
they will try to put me out of the way, and get hold of the diamonds. I
want a couple of good men to go with me."

"Well sir, I should say you and me could lick a dozen ordinary chaps,
without thinking anything of it."

"I dare say we could, Gibbons, in a stand up fight without weapons, but
I fancy these fellows will not try that. They are foreigners, and the
first thing they would try would be to put a dagger between my shoulders
as I walked up and down on deck at night, or, more likely still, creep
into my cabin and stab me while I was asleep. If the voyage were only to
last one night I might sit up, pistol in hand, but if the wind is foul
we might be a week. We are a pretty strong party. Mr. Chetwynd--you know
him--is going with me; there will also be two runners from Bow Street,
and I want you to take another good man with you. Of course, on board
we shall separate. The Bow Street men will watch the passengers, and you
and your mate will smoke your pipes and keep yourselves ready to join
in if you see there is going to be a row. But I rather think that the
passage will be a quiet one. At Amsterdam, until I have got rid of the
diamonds I certainly should not care about going out into the street
after nightfall without having you close behind me."

"All right, sir. I should say Tom Tring would be as good a man as one
could get at the job. What is the money to be, Mr. Thorndyke?"

"Well, what do you think yourself, Gibbons?"

"I take it you pay all expe