ainst at this moment--so as I
could prevent any such games in the future, and have an idea,
whenever I wished, of what was going on inside. Well, something or
another about this sailor fellow made me suspicious of him, and I
took a look at what he was after. He was sitting on the seat, sir,
with a big lump o' coal in his lap, and was a looking at it most
attentive. Now this seemed to me rather a rum start, so I kept on
watching of him, for as you'll see, my window's not a very large one,
and it's easier to see through it than to be seen. Well, he pulls a
spring or something, and out jumps one of the sides of this bit of
coal, and then I saw it was really a hollow box, painted, you see,
and made rough so as to look like the other. I couldn't make head or
tail of it anyhow, and indeed I'd pretty near forgot all about it
when there came news of the explosion at Bemerhaven, and people began
to talk about coal torpedoes. Then I knew as in all probability I'd
carried the man who managed the business, and I gave word to the
police, but they never could make anything of it. You know what a coal
torpedo is, don't you? Well, you see, a cove insures his ship for
more than its value, and then off he goes and makes a box like a bit
o'coal, and fills it chock full with dynamite, or some other cowardly
stuff of the sort. He drops this box among the other coals on the quay
when the vessel is filling her bunkers, and then in course of time
box is shoveled on to the furnaces, when of course the whole ship is
blown sky high. They say there's many a good ship gone to the bottom
like that."

"You've certainly had some queer experiences," I said.

"Why bless you!" remarked the driver, "I've hardly got fairly
started yet, and here we are at the 'Alexandry.' I could tell you
many another story as strange as these--and true, mind ye, true as
Gospel. If ever your missus looks in need of a breath of fresh air
you send round for me--Copper Street, number ninety-four--and
I'll give her a turn into the country, and if you'll come up beside
me on the box, I'll tell you a good deal that may surprise you. But
there's your little lad a hollering to you like mad, and the wife
wants to get out, and the other one's a tapping at the window with a
parasol. Take care how you get down, sir! That's right! Don't
forget number ninety-four! Good-day missus! Good-day, sir!" And
the growler rumbled heavily away until I lost sight both of it and o