has seen
all he wants to see for the moment. When we pass him the second time
he will probably appear to be more awake, unless there is someone else
passing him in the other direction, simply because he has seen us and
sized us up and dismissed us as of no interest; or, more likely,
stowed us away in his capacious memory, and, having no further use for
us, he forgets to appear disinterested."

"Good Lord, Dennis!" I exclaimed, "I'd no idea you ever noticed things
so keenly. What do you think he is--a detective?"

"Either that or a criminal. They are the same type of mind. One is
positive and the other negative, that's all. We'll turn back and test
him as we pass him. Talk golf, or fishing, or something."

So we commenced a half-hearted conversation on trout flies, and as we
approached "the American" I was explaining the deadly nature of the
Red Palmer after a spate and the advisability of including Greenwell's
Glory on the same cast. Unfortunately, as we passed our man there were
three other people coming towards us, and he was gazing over the top
of the carriage with the same dreaming look that had, according to
Dennis, deceived me before. But we were hardly abreast of him when his
stick shot up in front of us. His arm never moved at all; it was done
with a quick jerk of the wrist.

"You've dropped a paper, sir," he said to Dennis, to my utter
astonishment, for I had seen no paper dropped. Dennis turned quickly,
and picked up a letter which was lying on the platform behind him.

"I'm very much obliged, sir; thank you," said Dennis, as he put the
letter in his pocket.

"I never saw you drop that," I exclaimed when we were safely out of
earshot. "Did you?"

"There you are," my friend cried triumphantly. "You were walking
beside me and you didn't spot it, and he was some distance away and he
did; and you say he was half asleep."

"I say, Den," I exclaimed, laughing, "d'you think it's going to be
safe to travel on this train? I wonder where he's going?"

Then we dismissed the man from our minds. The train was going in six
minutes, and I joined the crowd round the rug and pillow barrow, and
prepared to make myself comfortable. Leaving everything to the last
minute, as most travellers do, we had a hurried stirrup-cup in view of
the fact that I was about to "gang awa'," and as the train glided out
of the station Dennis turned to wire for my breakfast-basket at
Crianlarich. The one thing that it is important to do w