he man shook his head.

"I bet you're working for a firm that's paying you about three pounds a
week and your miserable expenses--a perfect dog's life."

"You're quite right there," said the man, and he spoke with the
earnestness of the ill-used wage-earner, "it is a dog's life; out in all
kinds of weather, all hours of the day and night, and never so much as
'thank you' for any work you do. Why, we get no credit at all, sir. If
we go into the witness-box, the lawyers treat us like dirt."

"I absolutely agree with you," said the colonel, shaking his head. "I
think the private detective business in this country isn't appreciated
as it ought to be. And it is very curious we should have met you," he
went on; "only this evening I was saying to my friends here, that we
ought to get a good man to look after our interests. You've heard about
me, I'm sure, Mr.----"

"Snakit," said the other; "here's my card."

He produced a card from his waistcoat pocket, and the colonel read it.

"Mr. Horace Snakit," he said, "of Dooby and Somes. Now what do you say
to coming into our service?"

The man blinked.

"I've got a good job----" he began inconsistently.

"I'll give you a better--six pounds a week, regular expenses and an
allowance for dressing."

"It's a bet!" said Mr. Snakit promptly.

"Well, you can consider yourself engaged right away. Now, Mr. Snakit, as
frankness is the basis of our intercourse, you will tell me straight
away whether you were engaged in watching me?"

"I'll admit that, sir," said the man readily. "I had a job to watch you
and to discover if you knew the whereabouts of a certain person."

"Who engaged you?"

"Well----" the man hesitated. "I don't know whether it isn't betraying
the confidence of a client," he waited for some encouragement to pursue
the path of rectitude and honour, but received none. "Well, I'll tell
you candidly, our firm has been engaged by a young lady. She brought me
here to-night----"

"Miss White, eh?" said the colonel quickly.

"Miss White it was, sir," said Snakit.

"So that was why she was here? She wanted to show you----"

"Just where your rooms were, sir," said the man. "She also wanted to
show me the back stairs by which I could get out of the building if I
wanted to."

"What were your general instructions?"

"Just to watch you, sir, and if I had an opportunity when you were out,
of sneaking in and nosing round."

"I see," said the colonel. "Crewe, just take