closed my eyes again lest by any
chance it should turn out to be a dream.

The next thing I was conscious of was a rough hand on my shoulder and a
voice shouting, "Now then, mister, wake up; all ashore except you.
Can't stay on board all day!"

I rubbed my eyes and bounded to my feet.

The _Royal Duke_ was at a standstill in calm water, and the luggage-
crane was busy at work overhead.

"Are we there?" I gasped.

"All except you," said the sailor.

"How long have we been in?"

"Best part of an hour. Got any luggage, mister?"

An hour! Then I had missed my man once more! Was ever luck like mine?

I gathered up my crumpled hat and umbrella, and staggered out of that
awful cabin.

"Look here," said I to the sailor, "did you see the passengers go
ashore?"

"I saw the steerage passengers go," said he; "and a nice-looking lot
they was."

"There was one of the steerage passengers I wanted particularly to see.
Did you see one with a portmanteau and hat-box?"

"Plenty of 'em," was the reply.

"Yes; but his was quite a new hat-box; you couldn't mistake it," said I.

"Maybe I saw him. There was one young fellow--"

"Dark?"

"Yes; dark."

"And tall?"

"Yes; tall enough."

"Dismal-looking?"

"They were all that."

"Did you see which way he went?"

"No; but I heard him ask the mate the way to the Northern Counties
Railway; so I guess he's for the Derry line."

It was a sorry clue; but the only one. I was scarcely awake; and, after
my night of tragedy, was hardly in a position to resume the hue and cry.
Yet anything was preferable to going back to sea.

So I took a car for the Northern Counties station. For a wonder I was
in time for the train, which, I was told, was due to start in an hour's
time.

I spent that hour first of all in washing, then in breakfasting, finally
in telegraphing to my manager--

"Fancy tracked him here rough crossing--will wire again shortly."

Then having satisfied myself that none of the steamer passengers could
possibly have caught an earlier train, and determined not to lose the
train this time, I took a ticket for Londonderry, and ensconced myself a
good quarter of an hour before the appointed hour in a corner of a
carriage commanding a good view of the booking-office door.

As the minutes sped by, and no sign of my man, I began to grow nervous.
After all he might be staying in Belfast, or, having got wind of my
pursuit, might be escaping in some other dire