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.Tilbury's finished.He'sfalling back.Hill Billy leads, Mandrake running second, Rickaway half alength behind with plenty in hand.Penterham's using the whip, andRickaway's picking up.He's level with Mandrake-no, he's got it by a shorthead.Hill Billy's a length in front, and they're putting everything in forthe finish."The roar of the crowd grew louder as the field entered the last furlong.Mackintyre raised his voice."Mandrake's out of it, and Rickaway's coming up! Hill Billy's flat out withRickaway's nose at his saddle.Hill Billy's making a race of it.It'sPage 28 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlneck-and-neck now.Penterham left it a bit late.Rickaway's gaining slowly-"The yelling of the crowd rose to a final crescendo, and sud-denly died away.Mr.Mackintyre dropped his glasses and stepped down from his perch."Well," hesaid comfortably,"that's three thousand pounds."The two men shook hands gravely and turned to find Simon Templar driftingtowards them with a thin cigar in his mouth."Too bad about Hill Billy, Mr.Templar," remarked Mack-intyre succulently."Rickaway only did it by a neck, though I won't say he mightn't have donebetter if he'd started his sprint a bit sooner."Simon removed his cigar."Oh, I don't know," he said."As a matter of fact, I rather changed my mindabout Hill Billy's chance just before the 'off.' I was over at the telegraphoffice, and I didn't think I'd be able to reach you in time, so I wiredanother bet to your Lon-don office.Only a small one-six hundred pounds, ifyou want to know.I hope Vincent's winnings will stand it." He beamedseraphically at Mr.Lesbon, whose face had suddenly gone a sickly grey."Ofcourse you recognised Miss Holm-she isn't easy to forget, and I saw younoticing her at the Savoy the other night."There was an awful silence."By the way," said the Saint, patting Mr.Lesbon affably on the shoulder, "shetells me you've got hot slimy hands.Apart from that, your technique makesClark Gable look like some-thing the cat brought in.Just a friendly tip, olddear."He waved to the two stupefied men and wandered away; they stood gaping dumblyat his back.It was Mr.Lesbon who spoke first, after a long and pregnant interval."Of course you won't settle, Joe," he said half-heartedly."Won't I?" snarled Mr.Mackintyre."And let him have me up before Tattersall'sCommittee for welshing? I've got to settle, you fool!"Mr.Mackintyre choked.Then he cleared his throat.He had a great deal more to say, and he wanted tosay it distinctly.5.The Tough EggCHIEF INSPECTOR TEAL caught Larry the Stick at Newcastle trying to board anoutward-bound Swedish timber ship.He did not find the fifty thousand pounds'worth of bonds and jewellery which Larry took from the Temple Lane SafeDeposit; but it may truthfully be reported that no one was more surprisedabout that than Larry himself.They broke open the battered leather suit-case to which Larry was clinging asaffectionately as if it contained the keys of the Bank of England, and foundin it a cardboard box which was packed to bursting-point with what must havebeen one of the finest collections of small pebbles and old newspa-pers towhich any burglar had ever attached himself; and Larry stared at it withglazed and incredulous eyes.Page 29 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Is one of you busies saving up for a rainy day?" he de-manded, when he couldspeak; and Mr.Teal was not amused."No one's been to that bag except when you saw us open it," he said shortly."Come on, Larry-let's hear where you hid the stuff.""I didn't hide it," said Larry flatly.He was prepared to say more, butsuddenly he shut his mouth.He could be an im-mensely philosophic man whenthere was nothing left for him to do except to be philosophic, and one of hismajor problems had certainly been solved for him very providentially."Ihadn't anything to hide, Mr.Teal.If you'd only let me ex-plain things Icould've saved you busting a perfickly good lock and making me miss my boat."Mr.Teal tilted back his bowler hat with a kind of weary patience."Better make it short, Larry," he said."The night watchman saw you before youcoshed him, and he said he'd recognize you again.""He must've been seeing things," asserted Larry."Now, if you want to know allabout it, Mr.Teal, I saw the doctor the other day, and he told me I was rundown.'What you want, Larry, is a nice holiday,' he says-not that I'd letanyone call me by my first name, you understand, but this doc is quite agood-class gentleman.'What you want is a holiday,' he says.'Why don't youtake a sea voyage?' So, seeing I've got an old aunt in Sweden, I thought I'dpay her a visit.Naturally, I thought, the old lady would like to see somenewspapers and read how things were going in the old country --""And what did she want the stones for?" inquired Teal po-litely."Is shemaking a rock garden?""Oh, them?" said Larry innocently
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