was instanced
by the remarkable case of the famous Penstock bond robbery. A certain
church-warden named Hinkley, having been appointed cashier thereof, robbed
the Penstock Imperial Bank of L1,000,000 in bonds, and, fleeing to London,
actually joined the detective force at Scotland Yard, and was detailed to
find himself, which of course he never did, nor would he ever have been
found had he not crossed my path."

Hawkshaw gazed mournfully off into space, and Le Coq muttered profane
words under his breath.

"We're not in the same class with this fellow, Hawkshaw," said Le Coq.
"You could tap your forehead knowingly eight hours a day through all
eternity with a sledge-hammer without loosening an idea like that."

"Nevertheless I'll confound him yet," growled the jealous detective. "I
shall myself go to London, and, disguised as Captain Kidd, will lead this
visionary on until he comes there to arrest me, and when these club
members discover that it is Hawkshaw and not Kidd he has run to earth,
we'll have a great laugh on Sherlock Holmes."

"I am anxious to hear how you solved the bond-robbery mystery," said
Socrates, wrapping his toga closely about him and settling back against
one of the spiles of the wharf.

"So are we all," said Sir Walter. "But meantime the House-boat is getting
farther away."

"Not unless she's sailing backwards," sneered Noah, who was still nursing
his resentment against Sir Christopher Wren for his reflections upon the
speed of the Ark.

"What's the hurry?" asked Socrates. "I believe in making haste slowly; and
on the admission of our two eminent naval architects, Sir Christopher and
Noah, neither of their vessels can travel more than a mile a week, and if
we charter the _Flying Dutchman_ to go in pursuit of her we can catch her
before she gets out of the Styx into the Atlantic."

"Jonah might lend us his whale, if the beast is in commission," suggested
Munchausen, dryly. "I for one would rather take a state-room in Jonah's
whale than go aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ again. I made one trip on the
_Dutchman_, and she's worse than a dory for comfort; furthermore, I don't
see what good it would do us to charter a boat that can't land oftener
than once in seven years, and spends most of her time trying to double the
Cape of Good Hope."

"My whale is in commission," said Jonah, with dignity. "But Baron
Munchausen need not consider the question of taking a state-room aboard of
her. She doesn't ca