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Find him!" But this Steggles defied anybody to do. He had looked already. He had left Crockett at the cinder-path behind the trees in his running-gear, with the addition of the long overcoat and cap he used in going between the path and the house to guard against chill.
Now we'll go over to the back and look at this cinder-path of yours." Here Steggles, who was still standing near, was struck with an idea. "How about old Taylor, at the Cop, guv'nor, eh?" he said, meaningly. "His lad's good enough to win with Sammy out, and Taylor is backing him plenty. Think he knows any thing o' this?" "That's likely," Hewitt observed, before Kentish could reply. "Yes.
He seized the bewildered gentleman by the shoulders and presented to him a face distorted by terror. "I really have not the faintest notion what you are talking about," returned the gentleman, who seemed annoyed. "I don't know you." "Not know me? Do you mean to tell me you've forgotten ? Isn't your name Steggles?" "No, it isn't," returned the stranger, somewhat shortly.
"Well, at any rate, you sent Steggles away, and the slippers did come over, and you went into the lane. You walked with her as far as the road at the end, and then you were seized and gagged, and put into a carriage." "That was Browdie did that," said Crockett, "and another chap I don't know. But why, this is Padfield High Street?"
He pulled out his note-book, examined Miss Webb's direction very carefully, and then went off another way altogether, toward the Hare and Hounds. Kentish lounged moodily in his bar. "Well, my boy," said Hewitt, "has Steggles wiped out the tracks?" "Not yet; I haven't told him. But he's somewhere about; I'll tell him now." "No, don't. I don't think we'll have that done, after all.
As a matter of fact, I've worked Sammy Crockett into his books for about half I'm in for altogether through third parties, of course." Hewitt reached for his hat. "I'm going out for half an hour now," he said. "If Steggles wants to go out before I come back, don't let him. Let him go and smooth over all those tracks on the cinder-path, very carefully.
The road bent eighty yards away, and as soon as Steggles passed the bend the detective hurried after him. All the way to Padfield town and more than half through it Hewitt dogged the trainer. In the end Steggles stopped at a corner and gave a note to a small boy who was playing near. The boy ran with the note to a bright, well-kept house at the opposite corner.
"Never puts on flesh, so he can stand it. Come out now." He nodded to Steggles, who rose and marched Sammy Crockett away for exercise. "What?" "Sammy gone! Hooked it! I can't find him." The landlord stared blankly at the trainer, who stood with a sweater dangling from his hand and stared blankly back. "What d'ye mean?" Kentish said, at last. "Don't be a fool! He's in the place somewhere.
But he would take care to get it before the Saturday heats were run, because once they were over the thing was done, and the principal conspirator might have refused to pay up, and Steggles couldn't have helped himself. Again I hinted he should not go out till I could follow him, and this afternoon, when he went, follow him I did.
"Well, she knew this I think I know who told her and she promised to bring you a new pair of slippers, and to throw them over the fence for you to come out in." "I s'pose she's been tellin' you all this?" Crockett said, mournfully. "You couldn't ha' seen the letter; I saw her tear it up and put the bits in her pocket. She asked me for it in the lane, in case Steggles saw it."
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