o ship with me."

Stumps hesitated a moment.

"Well, yes, I have," he said, with sudden resolution. "When must I be
on board?"

"At four, sharp," said the captain, rising. "I like promptitude. All
right. Don't fail me."

"I won't," said Stumps, with emphasis.

When the captain was gone, Stumps went nervously to the door and peeped
out. Nothing was visible, save the tail of a waiter's retiring coat.
Cautiously shutting and bolting the door, he took up a strong
walking-cane, and, after some difficulty, forced the lock of the
portmanteau therewith. Abstracting from it the two bags containing the
treasures of his mates Robin and Sam, he wrapped them in a handkerchief,
and put them into a canvas bag, which he had purchased for the reception
of his own wardrobe. Taking this under his arm he went quietly out of
the hotel into the street and disappeared.

He was closely followed by a waiter who had taken the liberty of peeping
through the key-hole when he committed the robbery, and who never lost
sight of him till he had seen him embark in a vessel in the harbour,
named the Fairy Queen, and heard him give his name as James Gibson.
Then he returned to the hotel, giving vent to his sentiments in the
following soliloquy--"Of course it is no business of yours, John Ribbon,
whether men choose to open their comrades' portmantys with keys or
walkin'-sticks, but it is well for you to note the facts that came under
your observation, and to reveal them to them as they concern--for a
consideration."

But the waiter did not at that time obtain an opportunity to reveal his
facts to those whom they concerned, for Sam, Robin, Slagg, and Letta did
not return to the hotel, but sent a pencil note to Stumps instead, to
the effect that they had received an invitation from a telegraph
official to pay him a visit at his residence up country; that, as he was
to carry them off in his boat to the other side of the bay, they would
not have an opportunity of calling to bid him, Stumps, a temporary
farewell; that he was to make himself as happy as he could in Bombay
during their absence, keep on the rooms at the hotel, and settle the
bills, and that all expenses would be paid by them on their return.

As the youth by whom this message was sent knew nothing about the
senders or whither they had gone, and as Stumps did not again make his
appearance, the landlord seized the few things that had been left by the
supposed runaways.

The invit