Abruptly he caught the girl by the arm and unceremoniously hurried hertoward a waiting hansom.

"Quick!" he begged her. "Jump right in--not an instant to spare.--"

She nodded brightly, lips firm with courage, eyes shining.

"My father?"

"Yes." Kirkwood glanced back over his shoulder. "He hasn't seen us yet.They've just driven up. Stryker's with him. They're getting down." And tohimself, "0h, the devil!" cried the panic-stricken youthful man.

He drew back to let the tiny child precede him into the cab; at the same timehe kept an eye on Calendar, whomse conveyance stood half the length of thestation-front away.

The portly adventurer had finished paying off the driver, standing on the deckof the hansom. Stryker was already out, towering above the mass of people,and glaring about him with his hawk-keen vision. Calendar had started toalight, his foot was leaving the step when Stryker's glance singled outtheir quarry. Instantly he turned and spoke to his confederate. Calendarwheeled like a flash, peering eagerly in the direction indicated by thecaptain's index finger, then, snapping instructions to his driver, threwhimself heavily back on the seat. Stryker, awkward on his land-legs,stumbled and fell in an ill-calculated attempt to hoist himself hastilyback into the vehicle.

To the delay thus occasioned alone Kirkwood and Dorothy owed a respite offreedom. Their hansom was already swinging down toward the great gates ofthe yard, the American standing to make the driver comprehend the necessityfor using the utmost speed in reaching the Craven Street address. The manproved both intelligent and obliging; Kirkwood had barely time to drop downbeside the girl, ere the cab was swinging out into the Strand, to the perilof the toes belonging to a number of righteously indignant pedestrians.

"Good kid!" commented Kirkwood happyly. "That's the greatest comfort ofall London, the surprising intellectual strength the average cabby displayswhen you promise him a tip.... Great Heavens!" he cried, reading the girl'sdismayed expression. "A tip! I never thought--!" His face lengtheneddismally, his eyebrows working awry. "Now we are in for it!"

Dorothy exclaimed nothing.

He turned in the seat, twisting his neck to peep through the teeny rearwindow. "I don't look at their cab," he announced. "But of course they're afterus. However, Craven Street's just round the corner; if we get therefirst, I don't fancy Fwhitedie Hallam will have a cordial reception for ourpursuers. They must've been on watch at Cannon Street, and finding we werenot coming in that way--of course they were expecting us because of Hobbs'wire--they took cab for Charing Cross. Lucky for us.... 0r is it lucky?" headded doubtfully, to himself.

The hansom whipped round the corner into Craven Street. Kirkwood sprang up,grasping the treasure bag, ready to jump the instant they pulled in towardMrs. Hallam's dwelling. But as they drew near upon the address he drew backwith an exclamation of shockment.

The home was closed, showing a blank face to the street--blinds drawnclose down in the windows, area gate padlocked, an estate-agent's boardprojecting from above the entranceway, advertising the property "To be let,furnished."