e touched a passer-by with a fishing-rod; and there I sat without
any concealment and counted fifty-four wayfarers, out of whom no more
than eleven noticed me.

The knowledge of this fact came in useful on one of my investigating
tours. Inside a great high wall lay a dockyard in which, it was
rumoured, a new power-house was being erected, and possibly a dry dock
was in course of preparation.

It was early morning; the gates were just opened; the workmen were
beginning to arrive, and several carts of materials were waiting to
come in. Seizing the opportunity of the gates being open, I gave a
hurried glance in, as any ordinary passer-by might do. I was promptly
ejected by the policeman on duty in the lodge.

I did not go far. My intention was to get inside somehow and to see
what I could. I watched the first of the carts go in, and noticed that
the policeman was busily engaged in talking to the leading wagoner,
while the second began to pass through the gate. In a moment I jumped
alongside it on the side opposite to the janitor, and so passed in and
continued to walk with the vehicle as it turned to the right and wound
its way round the new building in course of construction.

I then noticed another policeman ahead of me and so I kept my position
by the cart, readapting its cover in order to avoid him. Unfortunately
in rounding the corner I was spied by the first policeman, and he
immediately began to shout to me (_see map_). I was deaf to his
remarks and walked on as unconcernedly as a guilty being could till
I placed the corner of the new building between him and me. Then I
fairly hooked it along the back of the building and rounded the far
corner of it. As I did so I saw out of the tail of my eye that he was
coming full speed after me and was calling policeman No. 2 to his aid.
I darted like a red-shank round the next corner out of sight of both
policemen, and looked for a method of escape.

[Illustration: _The dotted line in this plan shows my route, small
figures are policemen looking for me._]

The scaffolding of the new house towered above me, and a ladder led
upwards on to it. Up this I went like a lamplighter, keeping one eye
on the corner of the building lest I should be followed.

I was half-way up when round the corner came one of the policemen.
I at once "froze." I was about fifteen feet above sea level and not
twenty yards from him. He stood undecided with his legs well apart,
peering from side to si