an's tongue still wagging
shrilly, and heard through all. People crowded about us and a brace of
Columbian guards came hurrying up.

'What is it?'

'Anyone been robbed?'

Instantly the hands of Smug and his confederate began to slap and dig
into their pockets, while the woman answered eagerly:

'All on us, like enough! He's a pickpocket or a confidence man. I seen
him follerin' us. I've kep' an eye on him.' And then came a cry from
Smug.

'My wallet!'

He turned upon me, calling wildly to the guards, 'Search him!'

Into my nearest pocket went a gloved hand, and when it came out,
there, sure enough, was a brown leather wallet.

'Here it is!' cried one.

'Lord-a-massy!'

'I told you so!'

'Run him in!'

I was the centre of a small bedlam, and I shut my lips tightly and
inwardly cursed my interest in all rustics, and particularly the
Camps. I was fairly trapped. I saw my position, and held my peace,
while the two rascals told their tale, making sure by their volubility
that the Camps did not tell theirs. Only as the two guards, one on
either side, turned to lead me away, I said to Smug, 'We shall meet
again, my fine decoy;' and to the sham agent as I passed him, 'Better
stick to your matches, my friend.'

Inwardly chafing, I marched through the crowd between my two captors,
bringing them to a momentary halt as we came abreast of the place
where the souvenir matches were hawked, and seeing there, as I had
anticipated, a new face beneath the red fez.

Then I spoke to my captors:

'Men, you have made a mistake for which I can't blame you. Take me
before your chief at once, and I will not only prove this, but make it
worth your while to be civil.'

For answer the two merely exchanged glances, and hurried me on, and,
convinced of the uselessness of further remonstrance until I had
reached someone in authority, I strode on silently.

At the entrance to the great animal show there was a dense crowd, and
for a moment we were brought to a halt. Standing upon the edge of the
mass of bobbing bonnets and heaving shoulders, I could see in the
midst of the throng two Turkish-fezzed heads wildly dodging and
struggling toward us, and a moment later a full bass voice called
impatiently:

'Go ahead! Get out of this, can't you?'

I started at the sound of the big, impatient voice, and stood with my
eyes riveted upon the spot from whence it seemed to come. A moment
later the two red heads had emerged from the crowd