ther seat of the cab and, despite
the chill of early morning, his brow was hot and clammy.

"Likely enough it was just a begging stunt."

He put his head out of the window and said 'Waterloo Station.' A
sudden memory persuaded him to glance above his head and reassure
himself no other passenger was concealed upon the roof. The action in
itself was fresh evidence of nerves.

"Must pull myself together," he said. "Those infernal hours in the
wine cupboard have shaken me up."

To a man of action nothing is so wearing as inactivity. It had been
intolerable sitting in the darkness while the new proxy had borne the
enemy's assault unaided. He had heard the rumble of talk which had
followed the first stifled cry from Doran when the sponge of chloroform
was thrust into his face, and every now and again he had heard Frencham
Altar's voice ring out high and mocking and exasperatingly like his
own. Finally the front door had slammed but he remained concealed for
over an hour in case of misadventure. Doran was lying in the hall when
he stepped from his hiding place. Barraclough knew a little of the
rough science of medicine and very heartily cursed the man who had
doped his servant. A little more of the anaesthetic would have put a
period to Doran's career. There was an hour's hard work with ammonia
and respiratory exercises before the good fellow blinked an eyelid and
made the wry faces of recovery. After that Barraclough stewed himself
a cup of coffee, broke a couple of eggs into it and made ready for
departure. Altogether it had been a trying night as his nerves were
beginning to testify.

It was encouraging to find no suspicious watcher at booking office or
barrier. He passed through unobserved and entered an empty first-class
compartment in the 7.30 to Southampton. There were ten minutes to wait
before they were due to start--minutes which dragged interminably. But
at last the green flag dropped, the couplings tightened and the train
began to move.

"Thank God for that," he exclaimed and relaxed against the cushions of
the seat.

But his relief was short lived. A large man, running at full speed,
came abreast the carriage window which was lowered, a suitcase came
flying through and landed on the opposite seat, while the man himself
leapt to the running board, threw open the door and sprang into the
carriage.

"Jing! but that was a near squeak," he exclaimed. "Another half minute
and you'd have beate