But even a centipede cannot defy Scotland Yard with impunity. The forces of the law rallied, and, headed by an intrepid inspector with a fire shovel, eventually tracked down the insect--or should it be animal?--and placed him under arrest. Trial and execution followed summarily, and the honest cab-driver went empty away. The Lost Property Office is not, as is popularly supposed, a general depository for all articles found in London. It receives only things found in public carriages--tramway cars, omnibuses, and cabs. Other articles are dealt with by the police in the divisions where they happen to be found. But, even as it is, it keeps a large staff busy month in, month out. In the basement of Scotland Yard there are many rooms filled with articles varying from a navvy's pickaxe to costly jewels. Take an example of one year's working of the department. There were 90,214 articles deposited. Here is a rough classification of things dealt with in one year: Bags 9,340 Men's clothing 6,749 Women's clothing 7,942 Jewellery 2,395 Opera Glasses 723 Purses 4,340 Rugs 273 Sticks 2,134 Umbrellas 35,319 Watches 451 Miscellaneous articles 20,548 Of each of these things a minute record is taken before it is stored in one of the large rooms, with barred windows, in the basement. Umbrellas, sticks, and bags, for instance, are classified, each under half a dozen or more heads, and the card index with different coloured cards for various months, enables an article to be discovered instantly. Articles to the value of L39,859 were restored to their owners. Suppose you left an umbrella in a cab on June 16th, enquiry at Scotland Yard would enable it to be picked out at once, if it had reached them. You describe it as having a curved handle, mounted with imitation silver. At once an official turns to the blue cards in the index. Under "umbrellas" he turns to the subdivision W.M.C., which, being interpreted, means "white metal crook handle," and your umbrella is handed back to you. But you do not get it for nothing. There is a reward to pay to the cabman. In the case of an umbrella, or such small article, your own suggestion will be probably adopted, but on most things the scale fixed for gold, jewellery, and bank notes applies. This is, up to L10, 3s. in the L, and over that sum an amount to be fixed by the Commissioner. The rewards paid out annually form no inconsiderable sum. Recently figures have not been published, but an idea can be obtained from those given a year or so ago. Then 32,238 drivers and conductors shared between them nearly L5,000. One lucky cabman got L100; six received between L20 and L100.