isted of an enormous car of Jupiter, with six
wheels and thirty-six paregorical figures (as the clown used to say),
and drawn by six piebald steeds guided by white reins. This coach had a
windowed interior (at the greater fairs it sometimes served as a
box-office) and in the interior one of the delegates of the
_Signal_ had fixed himself; from it he directed the paths of the
procession.

It would be futile longer to conceal that the delegate of the
_Signal_ in the bowels of the car of Jupiter was not honestly a
delegate of the _Signal_ at all. He was, indeed, Denry Machin, and
none other. From this single fact it will be seen to what extent the
representatives of great organs had forgotten what was due to their
dignity and to public decency. Ensconced in his lair Denry directed the
main portion of the _Signal's_ advertising procession by all manner
of discreet lanes round the skirts of Hanbridge and so into the town
from the hilly side. And ultimately the ten vehicles halted in Crapper
Street, to the joy of the simple inhabitants.

Denry emerged and wandered innocently towards the offices of his paper,
which were close by. It was getting late. The first yelling of the
imprisoned _Daily_ boys was just beginning to rise on the autumn
air.

Suddenly Denry was accosted by a young man.

"Hello, Machin!" cried the young man. "What have you shaved your beard
off, for? I scarcely knew you."

"I just thought I would, Swetnam," said Denry, who was obviously
discomposed.

It was the youngest of the Swetnam boys; he and Denry had taken a sort
of curt fancy to one another.

"I say," said Swetnam, confidentially, as if obeying a swift impulse, "I
did hear that the _Signal_ people meant to collar all your chaps
this afternoon, and I believe they have done. Hear that now?" (Swetnam's
father was intimate with the _Signal_ people.)

"I know," Denry replied.

"But I mean--papers and all."

"I know," said Denry.

"Oh!" murmured Swetnam.

"But I'll tell you a secret," Denry added. "They aren't to-day's papers.
They're yesterday's, and last week's and last month's. We've been
collecting them specially and keeping them nice and new-looking."

"Well, you're a caution!" murmured Swetnam.

"I am," Denry agreed.

A number of men rushed at that instant with bundles of the genuine
football edition from the offices of the _Daily_.

"Come on!" Denry cried to them. "Come on! This way! By-by, Swetnam."

And the whole file vanish