Panting and puffing, a crowd at their heels, and people from all sides stringing out from the pavement and trooping after them, the two "plain-clothes" men came racing through the grinning gathering and bore down on P.C.

Collins.
"Hullo, Smathers, you in this, too ?" began he, his feelings softened by the knowledge that other arms of the law would figure on that film with him at the Alhambra to-night.

"Now, what are you after, you goat?
That French lady, or the red-headed party in the grey suit ?" "Yes, yes, of course I am.

You heard me signal you to head him off, didn't you ?" replied Smathers, looking round and growing suddenly excited when he realized that Collins was empty-handed, and that the red-headed man was not there.

"Heavens! you never let him get away, did you?
You grabbed him, didn't you--eh ?" "Of course I grabbed him.