The houses, the shop-fronts, the street-lamps, the throng of dark figures, passed him in unmeaning procession.  Yet all the time his feet, by some instinct, were leading him towards the water; and by-and-by he found himself staring—­still face downwards—­into a black inverted heaven wherein the lights had become stars and swayed only a little.

He had, in fact, halted, and was leaning over the parapet of the Embankment, a few yards from Cleopatra’s Needle; and as he passed the plinth some impression of it must have bitten itself on the retina; for coiled among the stars lay two motionless sphinxes green-eyed, with sheathed claws, watching lazily while the pressure bore him down to them, and down—­and still down. . . .

Upon this dome of night there broke the echo of a footfall.  A thousand footsteps had passed him, and he had heard none of them.  But this one, springing out of nowhere, sang and repeated itself and re-echoed across the dome, and from edge to edge.  Dick’s fingers drew themselves up like the claws of the sphinx.  The footsteps drew nearer while he crouched:  they were close to him.  Dick leapt at them, with murder in his spring.

Where the two men grappled, the parapet of the Embankment opens on a flight of river-stairs.  Mr Markham had uttered no cry; nor did a sound escape either man as, locked in that wrestle, they swayed over the brink.

They were hauled up, unconscious, still locked in each other’s arms.

‘Queer business,’ said one of the rescuers as he helped to loosen their clasp, and lift the bodies on board the Royal Humane Society’s float.  Looks like murderous assault.  But which of ’em done it by the looks, now?’

Five minutes later Dick’s eyelids fluttered.  For a moment he stared up at the dingy lamp swinging overhead; then his lips parted in a cry, faint, yet sharp—­

‘Take care, sir!  That stanchion—­’

But Mr Markham’s first words were, ’Plucky! devilish plucky!—­owe you my life, my lad.’

* * * * * *

Transcriber’s note: 

In “My Christmas Burglary” I corrected the following apparent typographical errors: 

   “Europe and the Bull” to “Europa and the Bull”.

   “we most lose no time " to “we must lose no time”

   “Exuse me sir” to Excuse me sir”.