of shot-colours, red, green, blue and purple, and from his glittering
watch-chain hung many fanciful medals, like soles upon a line.

"Brother-in-law to me," he remarked, jerking his thumb towards the
back-rushing lights of Exeter.

"Who?" I inquired.

"That young feller I was talking to just now. Didn't you see me talking to
a young feller?"

"Oh, yes, I believe I did hear you talking to somebody."

"Well, him. Married a sister to me, so he's my brother-in-law, ain't he?"

"Certainly."

"Well, you're wrong then. He's only a half-brother-in-law, because she is
only a half-sister to me, her ma marrying my old man. Understand?"

I said I did and pulled up my rug as a signal that I was going to sleep and
the conversation was at an end.

"Anyhow, whatever he is, he's good enough for her."

I remarked that that was most satisfactory and closed my eyes.

He drew out a yellow packet of cigarettes, selected one and held them in my
direction. I declined and again closed my eyes.

"Very good, please yourself, it's one more for little Willie. All I can say
is that you're foolish not taking a good fag when it don't cost you
nothing. You don't catch me refusing a free fag even when I don't want to
smoke. I takes it and puts it in my cap for when I do. Pounds I've saved
that way, pounds and pounds."

He lit his limp tube of paper and mystery, stamped out the match and spat
deliberately on the floor.

"See me do that?"

I nodded with as much disgust as I could contrive.

"Know what them notices say I can get for that? Fined or imprisoned."

He paused for me to marvel at his daring.

"Think I'm mad to take risks like that, don't cher? Well, I aren't neither.
They couldn't catch me out, not they."

He brushed some ash off his lap on to mine and winked sagely.

"Suppose the guard was to come in here and start fining and imprisoning me
for it, do you know what I'd do? I'd swear _you_ did it."

"But I should deny it," I retorted hotly.

"Of course you would, old chum, and I shouldn't blame you neither, but you
wouldn't stand no chance against me"--he leaned forward and tapped me on
the knee as though to emphasize his words--"_I could lie your life away_."

He sank back in his seat, his face aglow with conscious superiority. The
clamour of the wheels increased as if they were live things burning with
the fever of some bloodthirsty hunt.

"Firing her up," said the red man; "always racing time, these passenger
wa