another train, and from that to still another, threading our way
backward and forward over the top of the great city. At length, as if
the beggar thought we had gone far enough to baffle pursuit, we
descended upon a bustling business street, and paused at a corner;
and the beggar appeared to be looking out for a hack. He permitted a
dozen to pass us, however, carefully inspecting the driver of each.
At last he hailed one, and we took our seats. He gave some whispered
directions to the driver, and we dashed off.

"Throw that out of the window," he said.

I followed the direction of his eyes and saw that I still held in my
hand the gold-mounted whip which I had snatched from the hand of the
driver. In my excitement I had altogether forgotten its existence,
but had instinctively held on to it.

"I will send it back to the owner," I said.

"No, no; throw it away: that is enough to convict you of highway
robbery."

I started, and exclaimed:

"Nonsense; highway robbery to whip a blackguard?"

"Yes. You stop the carriage of an aristocrat; you drag a valuable
whip out of the hand of his coachman; and you carry it off. If that
is not highway robbery, what is it? Throw it away."

His manner was imperative. I dropped the whip out of the window and