s, particularly those who are deprived of the loving care of a
parent, and one of the chief attractions, if I may be allowed to say so,
which the police have for me, is the knowledge that they are the
protectors of the unprotected, the guardians of the unguarded."

He made a little bow, and for all his amusement Stafford gravely
acknowledged the handsome compliment which the most notorious scoundrel
in London had paid the Metropolitan Police Force.

"When am I to see your chief?"

"You can come along with me now, if you like, or you can go to-morrow
morning at ten o'clock," said Stafford.

The colonel scratched his chin.

"Of course, I understand that this summons is in the nature of a
friendly----" he stopped questioningly.

"Oh, certainly," said Stafford, his eyes twinkling, "it isn't the
customary 'come-along-o'-me' demand. I think the chief wants to meet
you, to discover just the kind of person you are. You will like him, I
think, colonel. He is the sort of man who takes a tremendous interest
in--er----"

"In crime?" said the colonel gently.

"I was trying to think of a nice word to put in its place," admitted
Stafford; "at any rate, he is interested in you."

"There is no time like the present," said the colonel. "Pinto, will you
find my hat?"

On the way to Scotland Yard they chatted on general subjects till
Stafford asked:

"Have you had another visitation from your friend?"

"The Jack o' Judgment?" asked the colonel. "Yes, we met him the other
night. He's rather amusing. By the way, have you had complaints from
anywhere else?"

Stafford shook his head.

"No, he seems to have specialised on you, colonel. You have certainly
the monopoly of his attentions."

"What is going to happen supposing he makes an appearance when I happen
to have a lethal weapon ready?" asked the colonel. "I have never killed
a person in my life, and I hope the sad experience will not be mine. But
from the police point of view, how do I stand suppose--there is an
accident?"

Stafford shrugged his shoulders.

"That is his look out," he said. "If you are threatened, I dare say a
jury of your fellow countrymen will decide that you acted in
self-defence."

"He came the other night," the colonel said reminiscently, "when we
were fixing up a particularly difficult--er--business negotiation."

"Bad luck!" said Stafford. "I suppose the mug was scared?"

"The what?" asked the puzzled colonel.

"The mug," said Stafford. "Y