gh gentlemanly Mr. Bennett
sat on thorns. The Sergeant repined less at the delay; he liked the
pickings which the job brought him much better than the job itself,
standing in wholesome dread of Beaumaroy. It was rather with resignation
than with joy that he received from Mr. Bennett the news that Neddy had
at last named the day that would suit his High Mightiness--Tuesday the
7th of January it was, and, as it chanced, the very day before Beaumaroy
was to start for Morocco! More accurately, the attack would be delivered
on the actual day of his departure--if he went. For it was timed for one
o'clock in the morning, an hour at which the road across the heath might
reasonably be expected to be clear of traffic. This was an especially
important point, in view of the fact that the window of the Tower faced
towards the road and was but four or five yards distant from it.

After a jovial dinner--rather too jovial in Mr. Bennett's opinion, but
that was Neddy's only fault, he would mix pleasure with business--the two
set out in an Overland car. Mr. Bennett--whom, by the way, his big friend
Neddy called "Mike," and not "Percy," as might have been
expected--assumed his sandy wig and red mustache as soon as they were
well started; Neddy scorned disguise for the moment, but he had a mask in
his pocket. He also had a very nasty little club in the same pocket,
whereas Mr. Bennett carried no weapon of offense--merely the tools of his
trade, at which he was singularly expert. The friends had worked together
before; though Neddy reviled Mike for a coward, and Mike averred
with curses, that Neddy would bring them both to the gallows some day,
yet they worked well together and had a respect for one another, each
allowing for the other's idiosyncrasies. The true spirit of partnership!
On it alone can lasting and honorable success be built.

"Just match-boarding, the Sergeant says it is, does he?" asked Neddy,
breaking a long silence, which indeed had lasted until they were across
Putney Bridge and climbing the Hill.

"Yes, and rotten at that. It oughtn't to take two minutes; then there'll
be only the window. Of course we must have a look round first. Then, if
the coast's clear, I'll nip in and shove something up against the door of
the place while you're following. The Sergeant's to stay on guard at the
door of the house, so that we can't be taken in the rear. See?"

"Righto!"

"Then--well, we've got to find the stuff, and when we've fo