view of the entrance. It was not long
before he reappeared and walked leisurely along the street. A few
seconds after we saw another man come out, cross the street, and go in
the same direction. I followed him, and was soon satisfied that he was
keeping Mac in view. This sort of double hunt was kept up until dusk,
when Mac returned to his hotel, unconscious that a moment later his
"shadow" entered the place also. Here was a complication, indeed, though
it was no more than we had anticipated among the possibilities; still, I
had indulged in the hope that the bank would rely entirely upon the
passport system, and take no further steps for a day or two, which was
all the time required to carry out our plan. Though Mac had good nerve,
it was already somewhat shaken, and surely the situation would have
unnerved most men. Therefore, fearing that the certain knowledge of
imminent danger might still further confuse him and cause some false
move, we determined to keep our discovery to ourselves.

George next proceeded to an obscure part of the town, and stopping at a
small but respectable looking tavern, he engaged a room for the next
day, also a carriage, with an English-speaking driver, to be in
readiness at 3 o'clock the next morning. Promptly at the hour he was at
the livery stable, where he found the carriage ready, and was driven to
the Hotel d'Europe. Sending the driver up to the office on the second
floor, Mac soon appeared and informed him that he had promised to take
to the station a man who was stopping at the hotel. "He is going to S.
Romao by the same train," continued Mac, "and seems a good fellow, for I
had a long talk with him last night." Upon seeing signs of disapproval
in my face, he explained: "Well, you know, he said he could not get a
carriage at so early an hour in the morning, and I thought it could do
no harm to take him in, and he is waiting upstairs."

Here I joined them, and it would be difficult for the reader to imagine
the effect of this surprising communication upon our minds, for it was
clear enough that this was the very person who had been "shadowing" Mac
the day before, and had skillfully ingratiated himself into his new
friend's confidence. I could but admire his nerve in asking a
contemplated victim for a ride to the station. I said to Mac: "What in
the world can you be thinking of? Don't you see you are blocking our
whole plan? Go up and tell him your carriage is loaded down with
luggage,