After a quarter of an hour had been spent in this performance
he happened to glance at the clock and rose with an exclamation.
He bustled out to his taxi and found the driver still intent
upon his reading. "Here I am at last," he said cheerily, and had
a foot on the step, when he stopped suddenly with a cry. It was
a cry of alarm, but also of satisfaction.

"What's become of my pack? I left it on the seat, and now it's gone!
There's been a thief here."

The driver, roused from his lethargy, protested in the name of
his gods that no one had been near it. "Ye took it into the station
wi' ye," he urged.

"I did nothing of the kind. Just you wait here till I see
the inspector. A bonny watch YOU keep on a gentleman's things."

But Dickson did not interview the railway authorities. Instead he
hurried to the left-luggage office. "I deposited a small box here a
short time ago. I mind the number. Is it here still?"

The attendant glanced at the shelf. "A wee deal box with iron bands.
It was took out ten minutes syne. A man brought the ticket and took
it away on his shoulder."

"Thank you. There's been a mistake, but the blame's mine. My man
mistook my orders."

Then he returned to the now nervous taxi-driver. "I've taken it