"Thank you, Buck," cried the lad. "I knew you'd be willing to help me. We'll start as soon as possible. You'll find us plenty of funds, won't you, Mr. Buxton?" "Oh, yes, Jack," said Mr. Buxton, "I'll find you all the money you want for such a purpose." CHAPTER V. THE SPY. Three days later, about four o'clock in the afternoon, Jack and Buck walked into Lincoln's Inn, and knocked at Mr. Buxton's door. They had been staying at a hotel near at hand, and nothing was said until Jack had carefully closed the door of the inner sitting-room, where Mr. Buxton was at work among his papers. "So you're off to-morrow?" said Mr. Buxton, laying down his pen. "No, to-night," said Jack. "What?" returned Mr. Buxton in surprise. "Have you got all your luggage ready?" "Yes, sir," said Buck. "We've got it with us." "Oh, your cab is outside?" he said. "No, sir," replied Buck, with a twinkle in his eye. "You see it all on view." Mr. Buxton scratched his head. "Do you mean to say that you're going to start for Burmah with an umbrella apiece?" "We do, Mr. Buxton," replied Jack. "We're going to slip off quietly. Buck thinks we're being watched." "Watched!" cried Mr. Buxton. "By whom?" "Can't say that," said Buck. "But there's someone takin' a deep interest in us I feel certain. I should venture to spec'late as the ruby gang want to know what we're up to." "And you mean to start off for the other side of the world equipped merely for a stroll through the Park?" cried Mr. Buxton. "Why not, sir?" asked Buck. "You've found us plenty of money, and we can rig ourselves out whereever there are shops. Best for us, too, to pull out on this business with as little show as we can make. If we don't, we may find ourselves pulled up mighty soon and mighty sharp. I tell you this is a deep an' cunning gang we've got to fight. An' they've got a big pull of us. They know us and we know very little of them. I can tell you there are wily birds east of Suez. They are up to all the tricks, both of East and West." The two visitors did not stay five minutes with Mr. Buxton. They wished their visit to have the air of a mere passing call, and when he had shaken hands with them and wished them good luck, they left his rooms, strolled into Chancery Lane, and went gently up towards Holborn as if they had nothing to do but stare at the sights of the town like country cousins. "Jack," said Buck softly, "let's pull up and look at this shop window, the panes have just got the bulge I want." Jack, wondering a little what his companion meant, stopped, and they stared into a print shop where photographs of eminent judges and K.C.'s were set out in rows. "Say, this is bully," murmured Buck. "Move a bit on one side, Jack, so that I can see the street behind us reflected in the glass. Now, come on, I've seen all I want. Don't turn your own head or you'll spoil the show."