f he goes with the old gentleman,"
retorted Smith, "for he's a stout fellow, and wouldn't be easy to
manage."

"_I'll_ manage him, no fear," said Thomson, looking at the unconscious
Edwin with a dark sinister smile.

"What if they get into a carriage that's already nearly full?" suggested
the dubious Smith.

"They won't do that," replied Jenkins with a laugh. "It seems to be
against the laws of human nature to do that. As long as there are empty
carriages in a train, so long will men and women pass every carriage
that has a soul in it, until they find an empty one for themselves. We
have nothing to do but follow them, and, when they have pitched on a
carriage, get in after them, and fill it up, so we shall have it all to
ourselves."

"Come along, then; it's time to stop talking and to act," said Thomson,
testily, as he moved towards the carriages.

That even the wisest of men (in his own conceit) may make mistakes now
and then is a fact which was beautifully illustrated on this occasion.
We may here let the reader into the secret of Jenkins, Smith, and
Thomson. They were men who lived by their wits. They had ascertained
that a partner of a certain house that dealt in jewellery meant to
return to London by that particular train, with a quantity of valuables
that were worth running some risk for. On the journey there was one
stoppage quite close to London. The run immediately before that was a
clear one of seventy-five miles without a halt, at full express speed,
which would afford them ample opportunity for their purpose, while the
slowing of the train on approaching the stopping place would give them
opportunity and time to leap out and make off with their booty. They
had been told that their intended victim was a stout resolute man, but
that would avail nothing against numbers.

Having obtained all requisite information they had proceeded thus far
with their villainous design, apparently with success. But at this
point a hitch occurred, though they knew it not. They had not taken
sufficiently into account the fact that black leather bags may be both
stout and peculiar, and in some degree similar without being identical.
Hence Smith and Jenkins in their self-confidence had settled, as we have
seen, that Captain Lee was "their man," whereas their man was
comfortably seated in another carriage, and by his side the coveted bag,
which was similar in some points to that of the captain, but different
in size