CHAPTER III. 



ENCORE HUMPHRIES. 



THIS Humphries was a slippery card ; as 

 long as he had a tight hand over him he 

 was as good a keeper as most man, but, if not 

 well under restraint, he seemed quite unable 

 to keep straight, and soon got up to his tricks. 

 He wrote and told me that he had dropped 

 into a good thing, earning about two pounds a 

 week for some time ; then it came down to 

 one pound, then to ten shillings, and lastly 

 to eight shillings per week. He thought when 

 it came to this that his job was over, and 

 began to cast about for a fresh one, pitching 



