Meanwhile the gentlemanly house-breaker, returning to Athenbury,
rejoined his rude colleagues, and these three choice spirits, after
partaking of some refreshment, and treating the policeman who first came
to their aid to a glass of gin, betook themselves to the railway
station.
"He won't come here, you may depend on't," observed the policeman to the
gentlemanly burglar, when he had taken his ticket, "he's too wide-awake
for that."
"Perhaps not; but it's as well to watch."
"Yes, it's as well to watch," assented the policeman.
"Besides, wide-awake fellows over-reach themselves sometimes," continued
the other. "I shouldn't wonder, now, if he had the impudence to come
straight here and denounce _me_ as a thief, just by way o' stoppin' me
from goin' by the train, and so having some sort o' revenge."
"Ha!" exclaimed the policeman, in a tone and with a slight but peculiar
look that made the gentlemanly man feel a little uneasy.
The fugitive did not appear, however. Every face that came on the
platform was carefully scrutinised without any result, and at length the
bell rang.
"Good-night, friend," said the burglar, slipping a half-crown into the
policeman's hand as he was about to jump into the carriage. "It was no
fault of yours that we didn't catch him. You did your best."
"Yes, I did my best."
"Hallo! are _you_ going by this train?" exclaimed the burglar.
"Yes, I've got business in Wreckumoft, so we'll have the pleasure o'
travellin' together."
The gentlemanly man felt that the pleasure would be entirely confined to
one side. However, he expressed much joy at the prospect of such good
company, as the policeman sat down beside him.
The train gave a pant, then a snort, then an impatient whistle. Then
the bell rang a second time, the whistle sounded a single note, and the
carriages moved slowly away. A moment more, and they were sweeping out
of the station; a moment more and they were rushing over the moor;
another moment, and they were dashing through space, setting all
terrestrial things at naught, until a station came in view; then the
whistle uttered a prolonged shriek, and the train began to slow. Up to
this point the policeman and his friends had sat together in comparative
silence.
The former put his head out of the window, and remarked that, "there was
a feller as would be too late for the train."
The moonlight enabled him to perceive that the late man was a labourer
of some sort.
The train ran into the station and stopped.
"Tickets ready!" shouted the guard.
"That'll give him a chance," observed the gentlemanly burglar.
"All right?" inquired the guard.
"All right," replied the ticket-inspector. The bell rang, the guard
whistled, so did the engine; it puffed too, and the train began to move.
"Look sharp now," cried the station-master eagerly to some one outside
the office. "Athenbury? Here you are--four shillings; run!"
The guard knew that it was a late passenger, and, being a good-hearted
fellow, held the door of a carriage open, even although the train was on
the move.
A man in a smock-frock and slouch-hat rushed across the platform at this
moment, and made for the door which the guard held open.
"Jump!" said the guard.
The gentlemanly burglar and the policeman lent their aid to pull the man
into the train; the door banged, and they were away.
"You've all but missed it," said the burglar.
The man in the smock-frock pulled his slouch-hat well over his eyes, and
admitted that it was a "close shave." Then he laid his head on the side
of the carriage and breathed hard.
"Take a drop o' gin," said the burglar in a patronising way, "it'll
bring you to in a minute."
Kenneth knew by his manner that he did not guess who it was that sat
beside him, so he resolved to accept the offer.
"Thank'ee, I loik gin. It waarms the cockles o' yer 'art, it do," said
Kenneth.
"Goin' far?" inquired the policeman.
"To Wreckumoft."
"You seems to have got on yer Sunday trousers?" observed the policeman.
"Wall, there an't no sin in that," replied the supposed labourer,
somewhat sharply.
"Certainly not," said the policeman. "It's a fine night, an't it?"
"It _is_ a foine night," responded the labourer, putting his head out of
the window.
"Yes, a very fine night," repeated the policeman, also thrusting his
head out at the same window, and holding a _sotto voce_ conversation
with Kenneth, the result of which was that he became very merry and
confidential, and was particularly polite to the burglars, insomuch that
they thought him one of the jolliest policemen they had ever had to do
with--and this was not the first they had had to do with by any means!
In course of time the train ran into the station at Wreckumoft, and the
occupants poured out on the platform, and took their several ways. The
three friends kept together, and observed that the policeman, after
bidding them good-bye, went away alone, as if he had urgent business on
hand, and was soon lost to view. This was a great relief to them,
because they could not feel quite at ease in his presence, and his going
off so promptly showed, (so they thought), that he had not the remotest
suspicion of their errand.
As for the country fellow in the smock-frock, they took no further
notice of him after quitting the carriage. Had they known his business
in Wreckumoft that night, they might, perchance, have bestowed upon him
very earnest attention. As it was, they went off to the Blue Boar
Tavern and ordered three Welsh rabbits and three pots of porter.
Meanwhile Kenneth took the road to Seaside Villa. On the way he had to
pass Bingley Hall, and rang the bell. The door was opened by Susan
Barepoles.
"Is Maister Gildart to hoam?"
Susan said he was, and Kenneth was delighted to find that his change of
voice and costume disguised him so completely that Susan did not
recognise him.
"I wants to see him."
Susan bade him wait in the lobby. In a few minutes Gildart came down,
and the country fellow asked to have a word with him in private!
The result of this word was that the two sallied forth immediately
after, and went towards Seaside Villa.
Here, strange to say, they found the policeman standing at the outer
gate. Kenneth accosted him as if he had expected to meet him.
"They ain't abed yet," observed the policeman.
"No; I see that my groom is up, and there is a light in my father's
study. I'll tap at the groom's window."
"Come in av yer feet's clean," was Dan's response to the tap, as he
opened the shutters and flattened his nose against a pane of glass in
order to observe the intruder.
"Dan, open the back door and let me in!"
"Hallo! Mister Kenneth!"
Dan vanished at once, and opened the door.
"Hush, Dan; is my father at home?"
"He is, sur."
"Come in, Gildart. Take care of that constable, Dan; give him his
supper. There's work both for him and you to-night. He will explain it
to you."
Saying this Kenneth took Gildart to the drawing-room, and left him there
while he went to his father's study.
At first Mr Stuart was alarmed by the abrupt entrance of the big
labourer; then he was nettled and disgusted at what he deemed a silly
practical joke of his son. Ultimately he was astonished and somewhat
incredulous in regard to the prospects of housebreaking which his son
held out to him. He was so far convinced, however, as to allow Kenneth
to make what preparations he pleased, and then retired to rest, coolly
observing that if the burglars did come it was evident they would be
well taken care of without his aid, and that if they did _not_ come
there was no occasion for his losing a night's rest.
Between two and three o'clock that morning three men climbed over the
garden wall of Seaside Villa, and, having deposited their shoes in a
convenient spot, went on tiptoe to the dining-room window. Here they
paused to consult in low whispers.
While they were thus engaged, three other men watched their movements
with earnest solicitude from a neighbouring bush behind which they lay
concealed.
After a few moments one of the first three went to the window and began
to cut out part of a pane of glass with a glazier's diamond. At the
same time, one of the second three--a tall stout man in a smock-frock--
advanced on tiptoe to watch the operation.
When the piece of glass was cut out the first three put their heads
together for farther consultation. Immediately their respective throats
were seized and compressed by three strong pair of hands, and the heads
were knocked violently together!
Gildart addressed himself to the red-haired man; the policeman devoted
himself to the one with the beard; and Kenneth paid particular attention
to the gentlemanly burglar, whose expression of countenance on beholding
into whose hands he had fallen, may be conceived, but cannot be
described.
Dan Horsey, who had also been on the watch, suddenly appeared with three
pair of handcuffs, and applied them with a degree of prompt facility
that surprised himself and quite charmed the policeman.
Thereafter the three astounded burglars were led in triumph into Mr
Stuart's study, where that sceptical individual received them in his
dressing-gown and slippers, and had his unbelieving mind convinced.
Then they were conveyed to the lockup, where we shall now leave them in
peace--satisfied that they are safely in the hands of justice.