"Stop a bit," said the prisoner, pulling out a note-book; "I'll take your number please, Mr. Guard."
The guard smiled pleasantly, and displayed his number, gratuitously offering his name and address, and the age of his grandfather.
"If they should ask you," he said cheerfully, as he swung off in the moving train, "you can say I've been vaccinated."
With much elaboration George entered all particulars in his book, including the porter's number and description, a note of the station-master's whiskers, the time, and other odd things that gave weight to the occasion.
"If you'll promise not to attempt to escape," said the station-master, "you can wait in the booking-office until they come for you."
"No, thank you," said George, stiffly; "this is a criminal affair, and you must take the full consequences of it. It's just as well for you, perhaps, that you do not realize how serious it is."
"My orders are to detain you," said the man, stolidly.
"Where to?" asked the porter, as they halted by the booking-office.
"In the cloak-room," said the station-master. "I've got the guard's word that he's the man."
"There's no getting out of it," said George, as he was thrust into a small room cumbered with dusty trunks and parcels. "I warned you twice!"