essity for imitating signatures, but
as a precaution this was done to some extent. I then proceeded to the
Bank of England for my last personal interview with the manager. I must
halt here for a brief space in the narrative, in order to enlighten my
reader upon some new developments, also to introduce the new member we
at this time brought into our firm.

[Illustration: "NOYES ESCORTED BY AN ANGRY MOB TO NEWGATE."--Page 379]

There was a friend, a very old friend, of mine residing in Hartford,
Edwin Noyes by name. We had known each other from our schoolboy days,
and there was a warm friendship between us. Our paths in life had been
wide apart, but we maintained a frequent correspondence and often met.
He knew nothing of my primrose life, but supposed, of course, from the
style of my living that I was the possessor of a handsome income from my
business, which lay, as he imagined, in that mysterious precinct known
as "The Street," which, of course, meant Wall street, and that my
business was speculating in stocks.

He was a trifle older than myself, of a steady, reserved nature, and a
discreet and safe friend. This was the new member of our firm. How he
came to be so I must explain. Up to this time, as the reader will have
noticed, I was the only one of the party known at the bank, and, of
course, was the only one who seemed to be taking any risk. Even in the
event of discovery it would apparently be necessary for me only to take
flight. George and Mac, not being known in connection with the fraud,
could remain in London until such time as they chose to go home. To make
matters absolutely safe for me as well we got up this scheme.

I told the manager of the bank that I had bought an immense plant and
shops in Birmingham to manufacture railway material, and that I should
be there superintending the work a good deal; therefore I might
occasionally send any bills I had for discount from there by mail. I had
sent two or three lots of the genuine bills in that way. If I could send
the imitation bills the same way, Mac and George could carry on the
business through the mail in my name and I could be at the other side of
the world while the actual operation was going on, so that, far from my
ever being proved guilty, there would be proof of my innocence, for how
could I be guilty of a crime committed in England at the very time I was
on a pleasure jaunt in the West Indies and Mexico? Thus it was
arranged. Mac and George could