"Those superfluous precautions generally give people away." "But how?" "It doesn't matter now. You'll learn later. What next?" "Next?" said Rattar. "Well, I just went on keeping my head and bluffing people----" he broke off, looked at Superintendent Sutherland, and gave a short laugh. "I only lost my nerve a bit once, and that was when the glass-eyed hangman butted in and said he was going to get down a detective. It struck me then it was time I was off--and what's more, I started!" The superintendent's mouth fell open. "You--you weren't the man----" he began. "Yes," scoffed the prisoner, "I was the man with toothache in that empty carriage. I'd got in at the wrong side after the ticket collector passed and just about twenty seconds before you opened the door. But the sight of your red face made me change my plans, and I was out again before that train started! A bright policeman you are! After that I decided to stick it out and face the music; and I faced it." His mouth shut tight and he sat back in his chair, his eyes travelling round the others as though to mark their unwilling admiration. He certainly saw it in the faces of the two open-eyed policemen, but Cromarty's was hard and set, and he seemed still to be waiting. "You haven't told us about Sir Reginald yet," he said. Rattar looked at him defiantly. "No evidence there," he said with a cunning shake of his head, "you can go on guessing!" "Would you like to smoke a pipe?" asked Carrington suddenly. The man's eyes gleamed. "By God, yes!" "You can have one if you tell us about Sir Reginald. We've got you anyhow, and there will be evidence enough there too when we've put it together." The superintendent looked a trifle shocked, but Carrington's sway over him was by this time evidently unbounded. He coughed an official protest but said nothing. The prisoner only hesitated for a moment. He saw Carrington taking out a cigarette, and then he took out his keys and said: "This is the key for that drawer. You'll find my pipe and baccy there. I'll tell you the rest." And then he started and exclaimed: "But how the h-- did you know I smoked?" "At five minutes past nine o'clock last night," said Carrington, as he handed him his pipe, "I was within three paces of you." The prisoner stared at him with a wry face. "You devil!" he murmured, and then added with some philosophy: "After all, I'd sooner be hanged than stop smoking." And with that he lit his pipe.