Tom; "he'd make you
sit up."

This was just the information Mr Ratman had been anxious to get. The
prospect of encountering Mr Armstrong had interfered considerably with
his pleasure in arranging this visit. But if he was out of the way--
well, so much more the luck of Mr Ratman. Therefore, without wasting
time in further parley with this possible brother-in-law, he proceeded
jauntily on his way.

"You won't fight, then?" said Tom by way of farewell.

"Some day."

"All right. Coward! Good-bye, Mr Roger Ingleton, major!"

Having relieved himself of which appropriate sentiment, Tom felt
decidedly better, and walked his bicycle down the hill, determined to
keep clear of Maxfield till the evening.

Mr Ratman, somewhat ruffled, but on the whole cheerful, swaggered on to
his destination.

The captain was luxuriously smoking a cigar and solacing himself with a
sporting paper, when Raffles sent his heart to his mouth by announcing--

"Mr Ingleton, sir, to see you."

"Ah, Ratman!" said he with a forced air of welcome as his creditor
entered. "I didn't recognise you by your new name. You're keeping it
up, then?"

"What do you mean?" demanded Mr Ratman, taking an easy-chair and
helping himself to a cigar from the captain's box. "It's you who are
keeping it up, I fancy. I'll trouble you to drop the Ratman."

The captain laughed unpleasantly.

"As you like," said he.

"Now to business. Of course, you're ready to make good these little
bills," and he pulled four or five blue slips from his pocket.

"No, I'm not. You may as well know it at once."

"Hum! What do you propose, then? Do you know there's a writ out?"

"I propose nothing. I want to know what you propose."

The two men regarded one another in silence; one insolent and sneering,
the other desperate and scowling.

"What do I propose?" said Ratman, puffing away cheerfully. "Scarcely
anything--only to make a little communication to the War Office, give a
few instructions to the Sheriff, write a paragraph or two to the county
papers, and tell a few interesting anecdotes to your charming
daughters."

Captain Oliphant started to his feet with a smothered exclamation.

"Not the last, Ratman! I'm in your clutches; but for Heaven's sake
don't bring them into it!"

Ratman laughed.

"You _will_ insist on forgetting my name, my dear fellow. Yes, that's
my little programme. I fancy I may as well begin at the end."

"Look here," pleaded the