“Right ye are, sir,” the cabman replied.  “You jest leave that to me.  I won’t let him go out of my sight.”

Then we, in our turn, left the yard of the station, and set off eastwards along the Strand in pursuit.  Both cabmen were sharp fellows and evidently familiar with every twist and turn of their famous London.  In my time I have had a good many curious drives in one part of the world and another, but I think that chase will always rank first.  We travelled along the Strand, about a hundred yards behind the other vehicle, then turned up Southampton Street, through Covent Garden by way of Henrietta Street into Long Acre.  After that I cannot pretend to have any idea of the direction we took.  I know that we passed through Drury Lane, crossed High Holborn, to presently find ourselves somewhere at the back of Gray’s Inn.  The buildings of the Parcels’ Post Depot marked another stage in our journey.  But still the other cab did not show any sign of coming to a standstill.  Leaving Mount Pleasant behind us, we entered that dingy labyrinth of streets lying on the other side of the Clerkenwell House of Detention.  How much longer was the chase going to last?  Then, to my delight, the other cab slackened its pace, and eventually pulled up before a small public-house.  We were so close behind it that we narrowly escaped a collision.  I sprang out, and ran to the other vehicle in order to stop Hayle before he could alight.

“Wot’s up, guvner?” asked the cabman.  “Don’t go a worritting of yourself.  There’s nobody inside.”

He was quite right, the cab was empty!

CHAPTER VI

I flatter myself that I am a man who is not easily disconcerted, but for the second time that day I was completely taken aback.  I had watched that cab so closely, had followed its progress so carefully, that it seemed impossible Hayle could have escaped from it.  Yet there was the fact, apparent to all the world, that he had got away.  I looked from the cab to the cabman and then at my own driver, who had descended from his perch and was standing beside me.

“Well, I wouldn’t have believed it,” I said aloud, when I had recovered somewhat my astonishment.

My own driver, who had doubtless begun to think that the sovereign I had promised him was in danger, was inclined to be somewhat bellicose.  It appeared as if he were anxious to make a personal matter of it, and in proof of this he sternly demanded of his rival what he had done with his fare.

“You don’t think I’ve ate him, do yer?” asked that worthy.  “What’s it got to do with me what a fare does?  I set ’im down, same as I should do you, and now I am on my way ’ome.  Look arter your own fare, and take him ‘ome and put him ter bed, but don’t yer a’come abotherin’ me.  I’ve done the best day’s work I’ve ever ’ad in my life, and if so be the pair of yer like to come into the pub here, well, I don’t know as I won’t a stand yer both a two of Scotch cold.  It looks as if ‘twould kind a’ cheer the guvner up a bit, seem’ as how he’s dis’pointed like.  Come on now!”