ready at the station when there's races, or an
Agricultural Show, or a Chancellor sworn in
for an university, or Jenny Lind, or any thing
of that sort; and as the Swell Mob come
down, we send 'em back again by the next
train. But some of the Swell Mob, on the
occasion of this Derby that I refer to, so far
kiddied us as to hire a horse and shay; start
away from London by Whitechapel, and miles
round; come into Epsom from the opposite
direction; and go to work, right and left, on the
course, while we were waiting for 'em at the
Rail. That, however, ain't the point of what
I'm going to tell you.

"While Witchem and me were waiting at
the station, there comes up one Mr. Tatt; a
gentleman formerly in the public line, quite
an amateur Detective in his way, and very
much respected. 'Halloa, Charley Wield,' he
says. 'What are you doing here? On the
look out for some of your old friends?'
'Yes, the old move, Mr. Tatt.' 'Come along,'
he says, 'you and Witchem, and have a
glass of sherry.' 'We can't stir from the
place,' says I, 'till the next train comes in;
but after that, we will with pleasure.' Mr.
Tatt waits, and the train comes in, and then
Witchem and me go off with him to the Hotel.
Mr.Tatt he's got up quite regardless of expense,
for the occasion; and in his shirt-front there's
a beautiful diamond prop, cost him fifteen or
twenty pound—a very handsome pin indeed.
We drink our sherry at the bar, and have had
our three or four glasses, when Witchem cries,
suddenly, 'Look out, Mr. Wield! stand fast!'
and a dash is made into the place by the swell
mob—four of 'em—that have come down as I
tell you, and in a moment Mr. Tatt's prop is
gone! Witchem, he cuts 'em off at the door, I
lay about me as hard as I can, Mr. Tatt shows
fight like a good 'un, and there we are, all
down together, heads and heels, knocking about
on the floor of the bar—perhaps you never see
such a scene of confusion! However, we
stick to our men (Mr. Tatt being as good as
any officer), and we take 'em all, and carry
'em off to the station. The station's full of
people, who have been took on the course;
and it's a precious piece of work to get 'em
secured. However, we do it at last, and we
search 'em; but nothing's found upon 'em,
and they're locked up; and a pretty state of
heat we are in by that time, I assure you!

"I was very blank over it, myself, to think
that the prop had been passed away; and I
said to Witchem, when we had set 'em to
rights, and were cooling ourselves along with
Mr. Tatt, 'we don't take much by this move,
anyway, for nothing's found upon 'em, and it's
only the braggadocia* after all.' 'What do
you mean, Mr. Wield?' says Witchem.
'Here's the diamond pin!' and in the palm
of his hand there it was, safe and sound!
'Why, in the name of wonder,' says me and
Mr. Tatt, in astonishment, 'how did you come
by that?' 'I'll tell you how I come by it,'
says he. 'I saw which of 'em took it; and
when we were all down on the floor together,
knocking about, I just gave him a little touch
on the back of his hand, as I knew his pal
would; and he thought it WAS his pal; and
gave it me!' It was beautiful, beau-ti-ful!
* Three months' imprisonment as reputed thieves.

"Even that was hardly the best of the case,
for that chap was tried at the Quarter Sessions
at Guildford. You know what Quarter Sessions
are, Sir. Well, if you'll believe me, while
them slow justices were looking over the Acts
of Parliament, to see what they could do to
him, I'm blowed if he didn't cut out of the
dock before their faces! He cut out of the
dock, Sir, then and there; swam across a
river; and got up into a tree to dry himself.
In the tree he was took—an old woman
having seen him climb up—and Witchem's
artful touch transported him!

III.–THE SOFA.

"What young men will do, sometimes, to
ruin themselves and break their friends'
hearts," said Serjeant Dornton, "it's
surprising! I had a case at Saint Blank's
Hospital which was of this sort. A bad case,
indeed, with a bad end!

"The Secretary, and the House-Surgeon, and
the Treasurer, of Saint Blank's Hospital, came
to Scotland Yard to give information of
numerous robberies having been committed
on the students. The students could leave
nothing in the pockets of their great-coats,
while the great-coats were hanging at the
Hospital, but it was almost certain to be
stolen. Property of various descriptions was
constantly being lost; and the gentlemen
were naturally uneasy about it, and anxious,
for the credit of the Institution, that the thief
or thieves should be discovered. The case
was entrusted to me, and I went to the
Hospital.

"'Now, gentlemen,' said I, after we had
talked it over, 'I understand this property
is usually lost from one room.'

"Yes, they said. It was.

"'I should wish, if you please,' said I, 'to
see that room.'

"It was a good-sized bare room downstairs,
with a few tables and forms in it, and a row
of pegs, all round, for hats and coats.

"'Next, gentlemen,' said I, 'do you suspect
anybody?'

"Yes, they said. They did suspect somebody.
They were sorry to say, they suspected
one of the porters.

"'I should like,' said I, 'to have that man
pointed out to me, and to have a little time to
look after him.'

"He was pointed out, and I looked after
him, and then I went back to the Hospital,
and said, 'Now, gentlemen, it's not the porter.
He's, unfortunately for himself, a little too
fond of drink, but he's nothing worse. My
suspicion is, that these robberies are committed
by one of the students; and if you'll put me