He gained the pavement and paused, turning on me.
"'Lucky they can't afford to keep a commissionaire.--How long do
these things take, as a rule, before going off?'
"'What things?' I asked.
"'Maroons, don't you call 'em?' said he, feeling in a foolish sort of
way at his breast-pocket, as if for his pince-nez. 'I got the
slow-match going with the end of my cigar, careless-like. How long
do they take as a rule?'
"Well, a handsome detonation below-stairs answered him upon that
instant.
"Farrell clutched my arm, and we ran."
NIGHT THE SIXTH.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE PICTUREDROME.
"Farrell could sprint," continued Jimmy. "You may have noticed that
a lot of these round-bellied men have quite a good turn of speed for
a short course. In spite of his fur coat he led by a yard or two:
but this was partly because I hung back a little, on the chance of
having to fight a rear-guard action.
"I could hear no shouts or footsteps in our wake, and this struck me
as strange at the time. On second thoughts, however, I dare say the
management and frequenters of the 'Catalafina' have more than a
bowing acquaintance with infernal machines.
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