"You be off," he ordered as he retreated. "We don't want none of
your sort about here."

"I certainly have no intention of staying," retorted the other as
gruffly as before. "But I think you'll remember Bobbie Dunn next
time I come this way."

"Let me down; please let me down," wailed the boy, clinging
desperately to the gate-post on whose top he had been so
unceremoniously deposited, and Dunn laughed and walked away, leaving
the porter to rescue his youthful colleague and to cuff his ears
soundly as soon as he had done so, by way of a relief to his feelings.

"That will learn you to be a bit civil to folk, I hope," said the
porter severely. "But that there chap must have an amazing strong
arm," he added thoughtfully. "Lifting you up there all the same as
you was a bunch of radishes."

For some distance after leaving the station, Dunn walked on slowly.

He seemed to know the way well or else to be careless of the
direction he took, for he walked along deep in thought with his eyes
fixed on the ground and not looking in the least where he was going.

Abruptly, a small child appeared out of the darkness and spoke to
him, and he started violently and in a very nervous manner.

"What was that? What did you say, kiddy?" he asked, recovering
himself instantly and speaking this time not in the gruff and harsh