initial commit of ebook 12208HEADmain

26 files changed, 5122 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/12208-0.txt b/12208-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1353923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,566 @@
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12208 ***
+
+ODD CRAFT
+
+By W.W. Jacobs
+
+
+
+THE CHANGING NUMBERS
+
+The tall clock in the corner of the small living-room had just struck
+eight as Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding staircase
+and, opening the door at the foot, stepped with an appearance of great
+care and humility into the room.  He noticed with some anxiety that his
+daughter Selina was apparently engrossed in her task of attending to the
+plants in the window, and that no preparations whatever had been made for
+breakfast.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding
+staircase."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's horticultural duties seemed interminable.  She snipped off
+dead leaves with painstaking precision, and administered water with the
+jealous care of a druggist compounding a prescription; then, with her
+back still toward him, she gave vent to a sigh far too intense in its
+nature to have reference to such trivialities as plants.  She repeated it
+twice, and at the second time Mr. Gunnill, almost without his knowledge,
+uttered a deprecatory cough.
+
+His daughter turned with alarming swiftness and, holding herself very
+upright, favoured him with a glance in which indignation and surprise
+were very fairly mingled.
+
+"That white one--that one at the end," said Mr. Gunnill, with an
+appearance of concentrated interest, "that's my fav'rite."
+
+Miss Gunnill put her hands together, and a look of infinite
+long-suffering came upon her face, but she made no reply.
+
+"Always has been," continued Mr. Gunnill, feverishly, "from a--from a
+cutting."
+
+"Bailed out," said Miss Gunnill, in a deep and thrilling voice; "bailed
+out at one o'clock in the morning, brought home singing loud enough for
+half-a-dozen, and then talking about flowers!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill coughed again.
+
+"I was dreaming," pursued Miss Gunnill, plaintively, "sleeping
+peacefully, when I was awoke by a horrible noise."
+
+"That couldn't ha' been me," protested her father.  "I was only a bit
+cheerful.  It was Benjamin Ely's birthday yesterday, and after we left
+the Lion they started singing, and I just hummed to keep 'em company.  I
+wasn't singing, mind you, only humming--when up comes that interfering
+Cooper and takes me off."
+
+Miss Gunnill shivered, and with her pretty cheek in her hand sat by the
+window the very picture of despondency.  "Why didn't he take the others?"
+she inquired.
+
+"Ah!" said Mr. Gunnill, with great emphasis, "that's what a lot more of
+us would like to know.  P'r'aps if you'd been more polite to Mrs. Cooper,
+instead o' putting it about that she looked young enough to be his
+mother, it wouldn't have happened."
+
+His daughter shook her head impatiently and, on Mr. Gunnill making an
+allusion to breakfast, expressed surprise that he had got the heart to
+eat any-thing.  Mr. Gunnill pressing the point, however, she arose and
+began to set the table, the undue care with which she smoothed out the
+creases of the table-cloth, and the mathematical exactness with which she
+placed the various articles, all being so many extra smarts in his wound.
+When she finally placed on the table enough food for a dozen people he
+began to show signs of a little spirit.
+
+"Ain't you going to have any?" he demanded, as Miss Gunnill resumed her
+seat by the window.
+
+"Me?" said the girl, with a shudder.  "Breakfast?  The disgrace is
+breakfast enough for me.  I couldn't eat a morsel; it would choke me."
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her over the rim of his teacup.  "I come down an hour
+ago," he said, casually, as he helped himself to some bacon.
+
+Miss Gunnill started despite herself.  "Oh!" she said, listlessly.
+
+"And I see you making a very good breakfast all by yourself in the
+kitchen," continued her father, in a voice not free from the taint of
+triumph.
+
+The discomfited Selina rose and stood regarding him; Mr. Gunnill, after a
+vain attempt to meet her gaze, busied himself with his meal.
+
+"The idea of watching every mouthful I eat!"  said Miss Gunnill,
+tragically; "the idea of complaining because I have some breakfast!  I'd
+never have believed it of you, never!  It's shameful!  Fancy grudging
+your own daughter the food she eats!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her in dismay.  In his confusion he had overestimated
+the capacity of his mouth, and he now strove in vain to reply to this
+shameful perversion of his meaning.  His daughter stood watching him with
+grief in one eye and calculation in the other, and, just as he had put
+himself into a position to exercise his rights of free speech, gave a
+pathetic sniff and walked out of the room.
+
+She stayed indoors all day, but the necessity of establishing his
+innocence took Mr. Gunnill out a great deal.  His neighbours, in the hope
+of further excitement, warmly pressed him to go to prison rather than pay
+a fine, and instanced the example of an officer in the Salvation Army,
+who, in very different circumstances, had elected to take that course.
+Mr. Gunnill assured them that only his known antipathy to the army, and
+the fear of being regarded as one of its followers, prevented him from
+doing so.  He paid instead a fine of ten shillings, and after listening
+to a sermon, in which his silver hairs served as the text, was permitted
+to depart.  His feeling against Police-constable Cooper increased with
+the passing of the days.  The constable watched him with the air of a
+proprietor, and Mrs. Cooper's remark that "her husband had had his eye
+upon him for a long time, and that he had better be careful for the
+future," was faithfully retailed to him within half an hour of its
+utterance.  Convivial friends counted his cups for him; teetotal friends
+more than hinted that Cooper was in the employ of his good angel.
+
+[Illustration: "The constable watched him with the air of a proprietor."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's two principal admirers had an arduous task to perform.
+They had to attribute Mr. Gunnill's disaster to the vindictiveness of
+Cooper, and at the same time to agree with his daughter that it served
+him right.  Between father and daughter they had a difficult time, Mr.
+Gunnill's sensitiveness having been much heightened by his troubles.
+
+"Cooper ought not to have taken you," said Herbert Sims for the fiftieth
+time.
+
+"He must ha' seen you like it dozens o' times before," said Ted Drill,
+who, in his determination not to be outdone by Mr. Sims, was not
+displaying his usual judgment.  "Why didn't he take you then?  That's
+what you ought to have asked the magistrate."
+
+"I don't understand you," said Mr. Gunnill, with an air of cold dignity.
+
+"Why," said Mr. Drill, "what I mean is--look at that night, for instance,
+when----"
+
+He broke off suddenly, even his enthusiasm not being proof against the
+extraordinary contortions of visage in which Mr. Gunnill was indulging.
+
+"When?"  prompted Selina and Mr. Sims together.  Mr. Gunnill, after first
+daring him with his eye, followed suit.
+
+"That night at the Crown," said Mr. Drill, awkwardly.  "You know; when
+you thought that Joe Baggs was the landlord.  You tell 'em; you tell it
+best.  I've roared over it."
+
+"I don't know what you're driving at," said the harassed Mr. Gunnill,
+bitterly.
+
+"H'm!"  said Mr. Drill, with a weak laugh.  "I've been mixing you up with
+somebody else."
+
+Mr. Gunnill, obviously relieved, said that he ought to be more careful,
+and pointed out, with some feeling, that a lot of mischief was caused
+that way.
+
+"Cooper wants a lesson, that's what he wants," said Mr. Sims, valiantly.
+"He'll get his head broke one of these days."
+
+Mr. Gunnill acquiesced.  "I remember when I was on the _Peewit,_" he
+said, musingly, "one time when we were lying at Cardiff, there was a
+policeman there run one of our chaps in, and two nights afterward another
+of our chaps pushed the policeman down in the mud and ran off with his
+staff and his helmet."
+
+Miss Gunnill's eyes glistened.  "What happened?" she inquired.
+
+"He had to leave the force," replied her father; "he couldn't stand the
+disgrace of it.  The chap that pushed him over was quite a little chap,
+too.  About the size of Herbert here."
+
+Mr. Sims started.
+
+"Very much like him in face, too," pursued Mr. Gunnill; "daring chap he
+was."
+
+Miss Gunnill sighed.  "I wish he lived in Little-stow," she said, slowly.
+"I'd give anything to take that horrid Mrs. Cooper down a bit.  Cooper
+would be the laughing-stock of the town."
+
+Messrs. Sims and Drill looked unhappy.  It was hard to have to affect an
+attitude of indifference in the face of Miss Gunnill's lawless yearnings;
+to stand before her as respectable and law-abiding cravens.  Her eyes,
+large and sorrowful; dwelt on them both.
+
+"If I--I only get a chance at Cooper!" murmured Mr. Sims, vaguely.
+
+To his surprise, Mr. Gunnill started up from his chair and, gripping his
+hand, shook it fervently.  He looked round, and Selina was regarding him
+with a glance so tender that he lost his head completely.  Before he had
+recovered he had pledged himself to lay the helmet and truncheon of the
+redoubtable Mr. Cooper at the feet of Miss Gunnill; exact date not
+specified.
+
+"Of course, I shall have to wait my opportunity," he said, at last.
+
+"You wait as long as you like, my boy," said the thoughtless Mr. Gunnill.
+
+Mr. Sims thanked him.
+
+"Wait till Cooper's an old man," urged Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill, secretly disappointed at the lack of boldness and devotion
+on the part of the latter gentleman, eyed his stalwart frame indignantly
+and accused him of trying to make Mr. Sims as timid as himself.  She
+turned to the valiant Sims and made herself so agreeable to that daring
+blade that Mr. Drill, a prey to violent jealousy, bade the company a curt
+good-night and withdrew.
+
+He stayed away for nearly a week, and then one evening as he approached
+the house, carrying a carpet-bag, he saw the door just opening to admit
+the fortunate Herbert.  He quickened his pace and arrived just in time to
+follow him in.  Mr. Sims, who bore under his arm a brown-paper parcel,
+seemed somewhat embarrassed at seeing him, and after a brief greeting
+walked into the room, and with a triumphant glance at Mr. Gunnill and
+Selina placed his burden on the table.
+
+[Illustration: "He saw the door just opening to admit the fortunate
+Herbert."]
+
+"You--you ain't got it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, leaning forward.
+
+"How foolish of you to run such a risk!"  said Selina.
+
+"I brought it for Miss Gunnill," said the young man, simply.  He
+unfastened the parcel, and to the astonishment of all present revealed a
+policeman's helmet and a short boxwood truncheon.
+
+"You--you're a wonder," said the gloating Mr. Gunnill.  "Look at it,
+Ted!"
+
+Mr. Drill was looking at it; it may be doubted whether the head of Mr.
+Cooper itself could have caused him more astonishment.  Then his eyes
+sought those of Mr. Sims, but that gentleman was gazing tenderly at the
+gratified but shocked Selina.
+
+"How ever did you do it?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Came behind him and threw him down," said Mr. Sims, nonchalantly.  "He
+was that scared I believe I could have taken his boots as well if I'd
+wanted them."
+
+Mr. Gunnill patted him on the back.  "I fancy I can see him running
+bare-headed through the town calling for help," he said, smiling.
+
+Mr. Sims shook his head.  "Like as not it'll be kept quiet for the credit
+of the force," he said, slowly, "unless, of course, they discover who did
+it."
+
+A slight shade fell on the good-humoured countenance of Mr. Gunnill, but
+it was chased away almost immediately by Sims reminding him of the chaff
+of Cooper's brother-constables.
+
+"And you might take the others away," said Mr. Gunnill, brightening; "you
+might keep on doing it."
+
+Mr. Sims said doubtfully that he might, but pointed out that Cooper would
+probably be on his guard for the future.
+
+"Yes, you've done your share," said Miss Gunnill, with a half-glance at
+Mr. Drill, who was still gazing in a bewildered fashion at the trophies.
+"You can come into the kitchen and help me draw some beer if you like."
+
+Mr. Sims followed her joyfully, and reaching down a jug for her watched
+her tenderly as she drew the beer.  All women love valour, but Miss
+Gunnill, gazing sadly at the slight figure of Mr. Sims, could not help
+wishing that Mr. Drill possessed a little of his spirit.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Sims watched her tenderly as she drew the beer."]
+
+She had just finished her task when a tremendous bumping noise was heard
+in the living-room, and the plates on the dresser were nearly shaken off
+their shelves.
+
+"What's that?" she cried.
+
+They ran to the room and stood aghast in the doorway at the spectacle of
+Mr. Gunnill, with his clenched fists held tightly by his side, bounding
+into the air with all the grace of a trained acrobat, while Mr. Drill
+encouraged him from an easy-chair.  Mr. Gunnill smiled broadly as he met
+their astonished gaze, and with a final bound kicked something along the
+floor and subsided into his seat panting.
+
+Mr. Sims, suddenly enlightened, uttered a cry of dismay and, darting
+under the table, picked up what had once been a policeman's helmet.  Then
+he snatched a partially consumed truncheon from the fire, and stood white
+and trembling before the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"What's the matter?" inquired the latter.  "You--you've spoilt 'em,"
+gasped Mr. Sims.  "What of it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, staring.
+
+"I was--going to take 'em away," stammered Mr. Sims.
+
+"Well, they'll be easier to carry now," said Mr. Drill, simply.
+
+Mr. Sims glanced at him sharply, and then, to the extreme astonishment of
+Mr. Gunnill, snatched up the relics and, wrapping them up in the paper,
+dashed out of the house.  Mr. Gunnill turned a look of blank inquiry upon
+Mr. Drill.
+
+"It wasn't Cooper's number on the helmet," said that gentleman.
+
+"Eh?" shouted Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"How do you know?" inquired Selina.
+
+"I just happened to notice," replied Mr. Drill.  He reached down as
+though to take up the carpet-bag which he had placed by the side of his
+chair, and then, apparently thinking better of it, leaned back in his
+seat and eyed Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Do you mean to tell me," said the latter, "that he's been and upset the
+wrong man?"
+
+Mr. Drill shook his head.  "That's the puzzle," he said, softly.
+
+He smiled over at Miss Gunnill, but that young lady, who found him
+somewhat mysterious, looked away and frowned.  Her father sat and
+exhausted conjecture, his final conclusion being that Mr. Sims had
+attacked the first policeman that had come in his way and was now
+suffering the agonies of remorse.
+
+He raised his head sharply at the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
+There was a smart rap at the street door, then the handle was turned, and
+the next moment, to the dismay of all present, the red and angry face of
+one of Mr. Cooper's brother-constables was thrust into the room.
+
+Mr. Gunnill gazed at it in helpless fascination.  The body of the
+constable garbed in plain clothes followed the face and, standing before
+him in a menacing fashion, held out a broken helmet and staff.
+
+"Have you seen these afore?" he inquired, in a terrible voice.
+
+"No," said Mr. Gunnill, with an attempt at surprise.  "What are they?"
+
+"I'll tell you what they are," said Police-constable Jenkins,
+ferociously; "they're my helmet and truncheon.  You've been spoiling His
+Majesty's property, and you'll be locked up."
+
+"Yours?" said the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"I lent 'em to young Sims, just for a joke," said the constable.  "I felt
+all along I was doing a silly thing."
+
+"It's no joke," said Mr. Gunnill, severely.  "I'll tell young Herbert
+what I think of him trying to deceive me like that."
+
+"Never mind about deceiving," interrupted the constable.  "What are you
+going to do about it?"
+
+"What are you?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill, hardily.  "It seems to me it's
+between you and him; you'll very likely be dismissed from the force, and
+all through trying to deceive.  I wash my hands of it."
+
+"You'd no business to lend it," said Drill, interrupting the constable's
+indignant retort; "especially for Sims to pretend that he had stolen it
+from Cooper.  It's a roundabout sort of thing, but you can't tell of Mr.
+Gunnill without getting into trouble yourself."
+
+"I shall have to put up with that," said the constable, desperately;
+"it's got to be explained.  It's my day-helmet, too, and the night one's
+as shabby as can be.  Twenty years in the force and never a mark against
+my name till now."
+
+"If you'd only keep quiet a bit instead of talking so much," said Mr.
+Drill, who had been doing some hard thinking, "I might be able to help
+you, p'r'aps."
+
+"How?" inquired the constable.
+
+"Help him if you can, Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, eagerly; "we ought all to
+help others when we get a chance."
+
+Mr. Drill sat bolt upright and looked very wise.
+
+He took the smashed helmet from the table and examined it carefully.  It
+was broken in at least half-a-dozen places, and he laboured in vain to
+push it into shape.  He might as well have tried to make a silk hat out
+of a concertina.  The only thing that had escaped injury was the metal
+plate with the number.
+
+"Why don't you mend it?"  he inquired, at last.
+
+"Mend it?" shouted the incensed Mr. Jenkins.  "Why don't you?"
+
+"I think I could," said Mr. Drill, slowly; "give me half an hour in the
+kitchen and I'll try."
+
+"Have as long as you like," said Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"And I shall want some glue, and Miss Gunnill, and some tin-tacks," said
+Drill.
+
+"What do you want me for?" inquired Selina.
+
+"To hold the things for me," replied Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill tossed her head, but after a little demur consented; and
+Drill, ignoring the impatience of the constable, picked up his bag and
+led the way into the kitchen.  Messrs. Gunnill and Jenkins, left behind
+in the living-room, sought for some neutral topic of discourse, but in
+vain; conversation would revolve round hard labour and lost pensions.
+From the kitchen came sounds of hammering, then a loud "Ooh!" from Miss
+Gunnill, followed by a burst of laughter and a clapping of hands.  Mr.
+Jenkins shifted in his seat and exchanged glances with Mr. Gunnill.
+
+[Illustration: "From the kitchen came sounds of hammering."]
+
+"He's a clever fellow," said that gentleman, hopefully.  "You should hear
+him imitate a canary; life-like it is."
+
+Mr. Jenkins was about to make a hasty and obvious rejoinder, when the
+kitchen door opened and Selina emerged, followed by Drill.  The snarl
+which the constable had prepared died away in a murmur of astonishment as
+he took the helmet.  It looked as good as ever.
+
+He turned it over and over in amaze, and looked in vain for any signs of
+the disastrous cracks.  It was stiff and upright.  He looked at the
+number: it was his own.  His eyes round with astonishment he tried it on,
+and then his face relaxed.
+
+"It don't fit as well as it did," he said.
+
+"Well, upon my word, some people are never satisfied," said the indignant
+Drill.  "There isn't another man in England could have done it better."
+
+"I'm not grumbling," said the constable, hastily; "it's a wonderful piece
+o' work.  Wonderful!  I can't even see where it was broke.  How on earth
+did you do it?"
+
+Drill shook his head.  "It's a secret process," he said, slowly.  "I
+might want to go into the hat trade some day, and I'm not going to give
+things away."
+
+"Quite right," said Mr. Jenkins.  "Still--well, it's a marvel, that's
+what it is; a fair marvel.  If you take my advice you'll go in the hat
+trade to-morrow, my lad."
+
+"I'm not surprised," said Mr. Gunnill, whose face as he spoke was a map
+of astonishment.  "Not a bit.  I've seen him do more surprising things
+than that.  Have a go at the staff now, Teddy."
+
+"I'll see about it," said Mr. Drill, modestly.  "I can't do
+impossibilities.  You leave it here, Mr. Jenkins, and we'll talk about it
+later on."
+
+Mr. Jenkins, still marvelling over his helmet, assented, and, after
+another reference to the possibilities in the hat trade to a man with a
+born gift for repairs, wrapped his property in a piece of newspaper and
+departed, whistling.
+
+"Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, impressively, as he sank into his chair with a
+sigh of relief.  "How you done it I don't know.  It's a surprise even to
+me."
+
+"He is very clever," said Selina, with a kind smile
+
+Mr. Drill turned pale, and then, somewhat emboldened by praise from such
+a quarter, dropped into a chair by her side and began to talk in low
+tones.  The grateful Mr. Gunnill, more relieved than he cared to confess,
+thoughtfully closed his eyes.
+
+"I didn't think all along that you'd let Herbert outdo you," said Selina.
+
+"I want to outdo him," said Mr. Drill, in a voice of much meaning.
+
+Miss Gunnill cast down her eyes and Mr. Drill had just plucked up
+sufficient courage to take her hand when footsteps stopped at the house,
+the handle of the door was turned, and, for the second time that evening,
+the inflamed visage of Mr. Jenkins confronted the company.
+
+"Don't tell me it's a failure," said Mr. Gunnill, starting from his
+chair.  "You must have been handling it roughly.  It was as good as new
+when you took it away."
+
+Mr. Jenkins waved him away and fixed his eyes upon Drill.
+
+"You think you're mighty clever, I dare say," he said, grimly; "but I can
+put two and two together.  I've just heard of it."
+
+"Heard of two and two?" said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"I don't want any of your nonsense," said Mr. Jenkins.  "I'm not on duty
+now, but I warn you not to say anything that may be used against you."
+
+"I never do," said Mr. Drill, piously.
+
+"Somebody threw a handful o' flour in poor Cooper's face a couple of
+hours ago," said Mr. Jenkins, watching him closely, "and while he was
+getting it out of his eyes they upset him and made off with his helmet
+and truncheon.  I just met Brown and he says Cooper's been going on like
+a madman."
+
+"By Jove! it's a good job I mended your helmet for you," said Mr. Drill,
+"or else they might have suspected you."
+
+Mr. Jenkins stared at him.  "I know who did do it," he said,
+significantly.
+
+"Herbert Sims?" guessed Mr. Drill, in a stage whisper.
+
+"You'll be one o' the first to know," said Mr. Jenkins, darkly; "he'll be
+arrested to-morrow.  Fancy the impudence of it!  It's shocking."
+
+Mr. Drill whistled.  "Nell, don't let that little affair o' yours with
+Sims be known," he said, quietly.  "Have that kept quiet--if you can."
+
+Mr. Jenkins started as though he had been stung.  In the joy of a case he
+had overlooked one or two things.  He turned and regarded the young man
+wistfully.
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr. Drill.  "I
+never was a mischief-maker, and I shouldn't like to have to tell how you
+lent your helmet to Sims so that he could pretend he had knocked Cooper
+down and taken it from him."
+
+[Illustration: "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr.
+Drill.]
+
+"Wouldn't look at all well," said Mr. Gunnill, nodding his head sagely.
+
+Mr. Jenkins breathed hard and looked from one to the other.  It was plain
+that it was no good reminding them that he had not had a case for five
+years.
+
+"When I say that I know who did it," he said, slowly, "I mean that I have
+my suspicions."
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all,' continued Mr. Drill."
+
+"Ah," said Mr. Drill, "that's a very different thing."
+
+"Nothing like the same," said Mr. Gunnill, pouring the constable a glass
+of ale.
+
+Mr. Jenkins drank it and smacked his lips feebly.
+
+"Sims needn't know anything about that helmet being repaired," he said at
+last.
+
+"Certainly not," said everybody.
+
+Mr. Jenkins sighed and turned to Drill.
+
+"It's no good spoiling the ship for a ha'porth o' tar," he said, with a
+faint suspicion of a wink.  "No," said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"Anything that's worth doing at all is worth doing well," continued the
+constable, "and while I'm drinking another glass with Mr. Gunnill here,
+suppose you go into the kitchen with that useful bag o' yours and finish
+repairing my truncheon?"
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12208 ***
diff --git a/12208-h.zip b/12208-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5ad72e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h.zip
diff --git a/12208-h/037.jpg b/12208-h/037.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..060338c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/037.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/038.jpg b/12208-h/038.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3199a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/038.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/039.jpg b/12208-h/039.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3908be2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/039.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/040.jpg b/12208-h/040.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74119b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/040.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/041.jpg b/12208-h/041.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..387e576
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/041.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/042.jpg b/12208-h/042.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d650b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/042.jpg
diff --git a/12208-h/12208-h.htm b/12208-h/12208-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81e2a09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/12208-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,1285 @@
+<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
+<html>
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
+    content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Odd Craft
+    By W. W. Jacobs: Part 8
+</title>
+
+<style type="text/css">
+    <!--
+    P { text-indent:   1em;
+	      margin:        15%;
+        margin-top:    .75em;
+        text-align:    justify;
+        margin-bottom: .75em; }
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; }
+    HR  { width: 33%; }
+    PRE { font-family: cursive}
+    .toc  { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;}
+    CENTER { padding: 10px;}
+    // -->
+</style>
+
+</head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Changing Numbers
+       Odd Craft, Part 8.
+
+Author: W.W. Jacobs
+
+Release Date: April 29, 2004 [EBook #12208]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: US-ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<br><br>
+<center>
+<img alt="title (42K)" src="title.jpg" height="658" width="479" />
+</center>
+<br><br>
+<br /><br />
+<h2>
+    1909
+</h2>
+
+<center>
+<h3>PART 8.</h3>
+</center>
+
+<br /><br />
+<hr>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+<h2>List of Illustrations</h2>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-37">
+"Mr. Samuel Gunnill Came Stealthily Down the Winding
+Staircase."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-38">
+"The Constable Watched Him With the Air of a Proprietor."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-39">
+"He Saw the Door Just Opening to Admit The Fortunate
+Herbert."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-40">
+"Mr. Sims Watched Her Tenderly As She Drew the Beer."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-41">
+"From the Kitchen Came Sounds of Hammering."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-42">
+"Don't Call on Me As a Witness, That's All," Continued Mr.
+Drill.
+</a></p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<hr>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<a name="2H_4_8"><!-- H2 anchor --></a>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h2>
+    THE CHANGING NUMBERS
+</h2>
+<p>
+    The tall clock in the corner of the small living-room had just struck
+    eight as Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding staircase
+    and, opening the door at the foot, stepped with an appearance of great
+    care and humility into the room.  He noticed with some anxiety that his
+    daughter Selina was apparently engrossed in her task of attending to the
+    plants in the window, and that no preparations whatever had been made for
+    breakfast.
+</p>
+<a name="image-37"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="037.jpg" height="412" width="550"
+alt="'mr. Samuel Gunnill Came Stealthily Down the Winding
+Staircase.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's horticultural duties seemed interminable.  She snipped off
+    dead leaves with painstaking precision, and administered water with the
+    jealous care of a druggist compounding a prescription; then, with her
+    back still toward him, she gave vent to a sigh far too intense in its
+    nature to have reference to such trivialities as plants.  She repeated it
+    twice, and at the second time Mr. Gunnill, almost without his knowledge,
+    uttered a deprecatory cough.
+</p>
+<p>
+    His daughter turned with alarming swiftness and, holding herself very
+    upright, favoured him with a glance in which indignation and surprise
+    were very fairly mingled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That white one&mdash;that one at the end," said Mr. Gunnill, with an
+    appearance of concentrated interest, "that's my fav'rite."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill put her hands together, and a look of infinite
+    long-suffering came upon her face, but she made no reply.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Always has been," continued Mr. Gunnill, feverishly, "from a&mdash;from a
+    cutting."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Bailed out," said Miss Gunnill, in a deep and thrilling voice; "bailed
+    out at one o'clock in the morning, brought home singing loud enough for
+    half-a-dozen, and then talking about flowers!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill coughed again.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I was dreaming," pursued Miss Gunnill, plaintively, "sleeping
+    peacefully, when I was awoke by a horrible noise."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That couldn't ha' been me," protested her father.  "I was only a bit
+    cheerful.  It was Benjamin Ely's birthday yesterday, and after we left
+    the Lion they started singing, and I just hummed to keep 'em company.  I
+    wasn't singing, mind you, only humming&mdash;when up comes that interfering
+    Cooper and takes me off."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill shivered, and with her pretty cheek in her hand sat by the
+    window the very picture of despondency.  "Why didn't he take the others?"
+    she inquired.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ah!" said Mr. Gunnill, with great emphasis, "that's what a lot more of
+    us would like to know.  P'r'aps if you'd been more polite to Mrs. Cooper,
+    instead o' putting it about that she looked young enough to be his
+    mother, it wouldn't have happened."
+</p>
+<p>
+    His daughter shook her head impatiently and, on Mr. Gunnill making an
+    allusion to breakfast, expressed surprise that he had got the heart to
+    eat any-thing.  Mr. Gunnill pressing the point, however, she arose and
+    began to set the table, the undue care with which she smoothed out the
+    creases of the table-cloth, and the mathematical exactness with which she
+    placed the various articles, all being so many extra smarts in his wound.
+    When she finally placed on the table enough food for a dozen people he
+    began to show signs of a little spirit.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ain't you going to have any?" he demanded, as Miss Gunnill resumed her
+    seat by the window.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Me?" said the girl, with a shudder.  "Breakfast?  The disgrace is
+    breakfast enough for me.  I couldn't eat a morsel; it would choke me."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill eyed her over the rim of his teacup.  "I come down an hour
+    ago," he said, casually, as he helped himself to some bacon.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill started despite herself.  "Oh!" she said, listlessly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And I see you making a very good breakfast all by yourself in the
+    kitchen," continued her father, in a voice not free from the taint of
+    triumph.
+</p>
+<p>
+    The discomfited Selina rose and stood regarding him; Mr. Gunnill, after a
+    vain attempt to meet her gaze, busied himself with his meal.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "The idea of watching every mouthful I eat!"  said Miss Gunnill,
+    tragically; "the idea of complaining because I have some breakfast!  I'd
+    never have believed it of you, never!  It's shameful!  Fancy grudging
+    your own daughter the food she eats!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill eyed her in dismay.  In his confusion he had overestimated
+    the capacity of his mouth, and he now strove in vain to reply to this
+    shameful perversion of his meaning.  His daughter stood watching him with
+    grief in one eye and calculation in the other, and, just as he had put
+    himself into a position to exercise his rights of free speech, gave a
+    pathetic sniff and walked out of the room.
+</p>
+<p>
+    She stayed indoors all day, but the necessity of establishing his
+    innocence took Mr. Gunnill out a great deal.  His neighbours, in the hope
+    of further excitement, warmly pressed him to go to prison rather than pay
+    a fine, and instanced the example of an officer in the Salvation Army,
+    who, in very different circumstances, had elected to take that course.
+    Mr. Gunnill assured them that only his known antipathy to the army, and
+    the fear of being regarded as one of its followers, prevented him from
+    doing so.  He paid instead a fine of ten shillings, and after listening
+    to a sermon, in which his silver hairs served as the text, was permitted
+    to depart.  His feeling against Police-constable Cooper increased with
+    the passing of the days.  The constable watched him with the air of a
+    proprietor, and Mrs. Cooper's remark that "her husband had had his eye
+    upon him for a long time, and that he had better be careful for the
+    future," was faithfully retailed to him within half an hour of its
+    utterance.  Convivial friends counted his cups for him; teetotal friends
+    more than hinted that Cooper was in the employ of his good angel.
+</p>
+<a name="image-38"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="038.jpg" height="612" width="609"
+alt="'the Constable Watched Him With the Air of a Proprietor.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's two principal admirers had an arduous task to perform.
+    They had to attribute Mr. Gunnill's disaster to the vindictiveness of
+    Cooper, and at the same time to agree with his daughter that it served
+    him right.  Between father and daughter they had a difficult time, Mr.
+    Gunnill's sensitiveness having been much heightened by his troubles.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Cooper ought not to have taken you," said Herbert Sims for the fiftieth
+    time.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He must ha' seen you like it dozens o' times before," said Ted Drill,
+    who, in his determination not to be outdone by Mr. Sims, was not
+    displaying his usual judgment.  "Why didn't he take you then?  That's
+    what you ought to have asked the magistrate."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't understand you," said Mr. Gunnill, with an air of cold dignity.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Why," said Mr. Drill, "what I mean is&mdash;look at that night, for instance,
+    when&mdash;&mdash;"
+</p>
+<p>
+    He broke off suddenly, even his enthusiasm not being proof against the
+    extraordinary contortions of visage in which Mr. Gunnill was indulging.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "When?"  prompted Selina and Mr. Sims together.  Mr. Gunnill, after first
+    daring him with his eye, followed suit.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That night at the Crown," said Mr. Drill, awkwardly.  "You know; when
+    you thought that Joe Baggs was the landlord.  You tell 'em; you tell it
+    best.  I've roared over it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't know what you're driving at," said the harassed Mr. Gunnill,
+    bitterly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "H'm!"  said Mr. Drill, with a weak laugh.  "I've been mixing you up with
+    somebody else."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill, obviously relieved, said that he ought to be more careful,
+    and pointed out, with some feeling, that a lot of mischief was caused
+    that way.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Cooper wants a lesson, that's what he wants," said Mr. Sims, valiantly.
+    "He'll get his head broke one of these days."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill acquiesced.  "I remember when I was on the <i>Peewit,</i>" he
+    said, musingly, "one time when we were lying at Cardiff, there was a
+    policeman there run one of our chaps in, and two nights afterward another
+    of our chaps pushed the policeman down in the mud and ran off with his
+    staff and his helmet."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's eyes glistened.  "What happened?" she inquired.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He had to leave the force," replied her father; "he couldn't stand the
+    disgrace of it.  The chap that pushed him over was quite a little chap,
+    too.  About the size of Herbert here."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims started.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Very much like him in face, too," pursued Mr. Gunnill; "daring chap he
+    was."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill sighed.  "I wish he lived in Little-stow," she said, slowly.
+    "I'd give anything to take that horrid Mrs. Cooper down a bit.  Cooper
+    would be the laughing-stock of the town."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Messrs. Sims and Drill looked unhappy.  It was hard to have to affect an
+    attitude of indifference in the face of Miss Gunnill's lawless yearnings;
+    to stand before her as respectable and law-abiding cravens.  Her eyes,
+    large and sorrowful; dwelt on them both.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "If I&mdash;I only get a chance at Cooper!" murmured Mr. Sims, vaguely.
+</p>
+<p>
+    To his surprise, Mr. Gunnill started up from his chair and, gripping his
+    hand, shook it fervently.  He looked round, and Selina was regarding him
+    with a glance so tender that he lost his head completely.  Before he had
+    recovered he had pledged himself to lay the helmet and truncheon of the
+    redoubtable Mr. Cooper at the feet of Miss Gunnill; exact date not
+    specified.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Of course, I shall have to wait my opportunity," he said, at last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You wait as long as you like, my boy," said the thoughtless Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims thanked him.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Wait till Cooper's an old man," urged Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill, secretly disappointed at the lack of boldness and devotion
+    on the part of the latter gentleman, eyed his stalwart frame indignantly
+    and accused him of trying to make Mr. Sims as timid as himself.  She
+    turned to the valiant Sims and made herself so agreeable to that daring
+    blade that Mr. Drill, a prey to violent jealousy, bade the company a curt
+    good-night and withdrew.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He stayed away for nearly a week, and then one evening as he approached
+    the house, carrying a carpet-bag, he saw the door just opening to admit
+    the fortunate Herbert.  He quickened his pace and arrived just in time to
+    follow him in.  Mr. Sims, who bore under his arm a brown-paper parcel,
+    seemed somewhat embarrassed at seeing him, and after a brief greeting
+    walked into the room, and with a triumphant glance at Mr. Gunnill and
+    Selina placed his burden on the table.
+</p>
+<a name="image-39"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="039.jpg" height="446" width="553"
+alt="'he Saw the Door Just Opening to Admit The Fortunate
+Herbert.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "You&mdash;you ain't got it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, leaning forward.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How foolish of you to run such a risk!"  said Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I brought it for Miss Gunnill," said the young man, simply.  He
+    unfastened the parcel, and to the astonishment of all present revealed a
+    policeman's helmet and a short boxwood truncheon.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You&mdash;you're a wonder," said the gloating Mr. Gunnill.  "Look at it,
+    Ted!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill was looking at it; it may be doubted whether the head of Mr.
+    Cooper itself could have caused him more astonishment.  Then his eyes
+    sought those of Mr. Sims, but that gentleman was gazing tenderly at the
+    gratified but shocked Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How ever did you do it?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Came behind him and threw him down," said Mr. Sims, nonchalantly.  "He
+    was that scared I believe I could have taken his boots as well if I'd
+    wanted them."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill patted him on the back.  "I fancy I can see him running
+    bare-headed through the town calling for help," he said, smiling.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims shook his head.  "Like as not it'll be kept quiet for the credit
+    of the force," he said, slowly, "unless, of course, they discover who did
+    it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    A slight shade fell on the good-humoured countenance of Mr. Gunnill, but
+    it was chased away almost immediately by Sims reminding him of the chaff
+    of Cooper's brother-constables.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And you might take the others away," said Mr. Gunnill, brightening; "you
+    might keep on doing it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims said doubtfully that he might, but pointed out that Cooper would
+    probably be on his guard for the future.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Yes, you've done your share," said Miss Gunnill, with a half-glance at
+    Mr. Drill, who was still gazing in a bewildered fashion at the trophies.
+    "You can come into the kitchen and help me draw some beer if you like."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims followed her joyfully, and reaching down a jug for her watched
+    her tenderly as she drew the beer.  All women love valour, but Miss
+    Gunnill, gazing sadly at the slight figure of Mr. Sims, could not help
+    wishing that Mr. Drill possessed a little of his spirit.
+</p>
+<a name="image-40"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="040.jpg" height="492" width="561"
+alt="'mr. Sims Watched Her Tenderly As She Drew the Beer.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    She had just finished her task when a tremendous bumping noise was heard
+    in the living-room, and the plates on the dresser were nearly shaken off
+    their shelves.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What's that?" she cried.
+</p>
+<p>
+    They ran to the room and stood aghast in the doorway at the spectacle of
+    Mr. Gunnill, with his clenched fists held tightly by his side, bounding
+    into the air with all the grace of a trained acrobat, while Mr. Drill
+    encouraged him from an easy-chair.  Mr. Gunnill smiled broadly as he met
+    their astonished gaze, and with a final bound kicked something along the
+    floor and subsided into his seat panting.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims, suddenly enlightened, uttered a cry of dismay and, darting
+    under the table, picked up what had once been a policeman's helmet.  Then
+    he snatched a partially consumed truncheon from the fire, and stood white
+    and trembling before the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What's the matter?" inquired the latter.  "You&mdash;you've spoilt 'em,"
+    gasped Mr. Sims.  "What of it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, staring.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I was&mdash;going to take 'em away," stammered Mr. Sims.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Well, they'll be easier to carry now," said Mr. Drill, simply.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims glanced at him sharply, and then, to the extreme astonishment of
+    Mr. Gunnill, snatched up the relics and, wrapping them up in the paper,
+    dashed out of the house.  Mr. Gunnill turned a look of blank inquiry upon
+    Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It wasn't Cooper's number on the helmet," said that gentleman.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Eh?" shouted Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How do you know?" inquired Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I just happened to notice," replied Mr. Drill.  He reached down as
+    though to take up the carpet-bag which he had placed by the side of his
+    chair, and then, apparently thinking better of it, leaned back in his
+    seat and eyed Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Do you mean to tell me," said the latter, "that he's been and upset the
+    wrong man?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill shook his head.  "That's the puzzle," he said, softly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He smiled over at Miss Gunnill, but that young lady, who found him
+    somewhat mysterious, looked away and frowned.  Her father sat and
+    exhausted conjecture, his final conclusion being that Mr. Sims had
+    attacked the first policeman that had come in his way and was now
+    suffering the agonies of remorse.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He raised his head sharply at the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
+    There was a smart rap at the street door, then the handle was turned, and
+    the next moment, to the dismay of all present, the red and angry face of
+    one of Mr. Cooper's brother-constables was thrust into the room.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill gazed at it in helpless fascination.  The body of the
+    constable garbed in plain clothes followed the face and, standing before
+    him in a menacing fashion, held out a broken helmet and staff.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Have you seen these afore?" he inquired, in a terrible voice.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "No," said Mr. Gunnill, with an attempt at surprise.  "What are they?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'll tell you what they are," said Police-constable Jenkins,
+    ferociously; "they're my helmet and truncheon.  You've been spoiling His
+    Majesty's property, and you'll be locked up."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Yours?" said the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I lent 'em to young Sims, just for a joke," said the constable.  "I felt
+    all along I was doing a silly thing."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It's no joke," said Mr. Gunnill, severely.  "I'll tell young Herbert
+    what I think of him trying to deceive me like that."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Never mind about deceiving," interrupted the constable.  "What are you
+    going to do about it?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What are you?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill, hardily.  "It seems to me it's
+    between you and him; you'll very likely be dismissed from the force, and
+    all through trying to deceive.  I wash my hands of it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You'd no business to lend it," said Drill, interrupting the constable's
+    indignant retort; "especially for Sims to pretend that he had stolen it
+    from Cooper.  It's a roundabout sort of thing, but you can't tell of Mr.
+    Gunnill without getting into trouble yourself."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I shall have to put up with that," said the constable, desperately;
+    "it's got to be explained.  It's my day-helmet, too, and the night one's
+    as shabby as can be.  Twenty years in the force and never a mark against
+    my name till now."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "If you'd only keep quiet a bit instead of talking so much," said Mr.
+    Drill, who had been doing some hard thinking, "I might be able to help
+    you, p'r'aps."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How?" inquired the constable.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Help him if you can, Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, eagerly; "we ought all to
+    help others when we get a chance."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill sat bolt upright and looked very wise.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He took the smashed helmet from the table and examined it carefully.  It
+    was broken in at least half-a-dozen places, and he laboured in vain to
+    push it into shape.  He might as well have tried to make a silk hat out
+    of a concertina.  The only thing that had escaped injury was the metal
+    plate with the number.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Why don't you mend it?"  he inquired, at last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Mend it?" shouted the incensed Mr. Jenkins.  "Why don't you?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I think I could," said Mr. Drill, slowly; "give me half an hour in the
+    kitchen and I'll try."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Have as long as you like," said Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And I shall want some glue, and Miss Gunnill, and some tin-tacks," said
+    Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What do you want me for?" inquired Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "To hold the things for me," replied Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill tossed her head, but after a little demur consented; and
+    Drill, ignoring the impatience of the constable, picked up his bag and
+    led the way into the kitchen.  Messrs. Gunnill and Jenkins, left behind
+    in the living-room, sought for some neutral topic of discourse, but in
+    vain; conversation would revolve round hard labour and lost pensions.
+    From the kitchen came sounds of hammering, then a loud "Ooh!" from Miss
+    Gunnill, followed by a burst of laughter and a clapping of hands.  Mr.
+    Jenkins shifted in his seat and exchanged glances with Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<a name="image-41"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="041.jpg" height="691" width="565"
+alt="'from the Kitchen Came Sounds of Hammering.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "He's a clever fellow," said that gentleman, hopefully.  "You should hear
+    him imitate a canary; life-like it is."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins was about to make a hasty and obvious rejoinder, when the
+    kitchen door opened and Selina emerged, followed by Drill.  The snarl
+    which the constable had prepared died away in a murmur of astonishment as
+    he took the helmet.  It looked as good as ever.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He turned it over and over in amaze, and looked in vain for any signs of
+    the disastrous cracks.  It was stiff and upright.  He looked at the
+    number: it was his own.  His eyes round with astonishment he tried it on,
+    and then his face relaxed.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It don't fit as well as it did," he said.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Well, upon my word, some people are never satisfied," said the indignant
+    Drill.  "There isn't another man in England could have done it better."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'm not grumbling," said the constable, hastily; "it's a wonderful piece
+    o' work.  Wonderful!  I can't even see where it was broke.  How on earth
+    did you do it?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Drill shook his head.  "It's a secret process," he said, slowly.  "I
+    might want to go into the hat trade some day, and I'm not going to give
+    things away."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Quite right," said Mr. Jenkins.  "Still&mdash;well, it's a marvel, that's
+    what it is; a fair marvel.  If you take my advice you'll go in the hat
+    trade to-morrow, my lad."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'm not surprised," said Mr. Gunnill, whose face as he spoke was a map
+    of astonishment.  "Not a bit.  I've seen him do more surprising things
+    than that.  Have a go at the staff now, Teddy."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'll see about it," said Mr. Drill, modestly.  "I can't do
+    impossibilities.  You leave it here, Mr. Jenkins, and we'll talk about it
+    later on."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins, still marvelling over his helmet, assented, and, after
+    another reference to the possibilities in the hat trade to a man with a
+    born gift for repairs, wrapped his property in a piece of newspaper and
+    departed, whistling.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, impressively, as he sank into his chair with a
+    sigh of relief.  "How you done it I don't know.  It's a surprise even to
+    me."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He is very clever," said Selina, with a kind smile
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill turned pale, and then, somewhat emboldened by praise from such
+    a quarter, dropped into a chair by her side and began to talk in low
+    tones.  The grateful Mr. Gunnill, more relieved than he cared to confess,
+    thoughtfully closed his eyes.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I didn't think all along that you'd let Herbert outdo you," said Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I want to outdo him," said Mr. Drill, in a voice of much meaning.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill cast down her eyes and Mr. Drill had just plucked up
+    sufficient courage to take her hand when footsteps stopped at the house,
+    the handle of the door was turned, and, for the second time that evening,
+    the inflamed visage of Mr. Jenkins confronted the company.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't tell me it's a failure," said Mr. Gunnill, starting from his
+    chair.  "You must have been handling it roughly.  It was as good as new
+    when you took it away."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins waved him away and fixed his eyes upon Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You think you're mighty clever, I dare say," he said, grimly; "but I can
+    put two and two together.  I've just heard of it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Heard of two and two?" said Drill, looking puzzled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't want any of your nonsense," said Mr. Jenkins.  "I'm not on duty
+    now, but I warn you not to say anything that may be used against you."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I never do," said Mr. Drill, piously.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Somebody threw a handful o' flour in poor Cooper's face a couple of
+    hours ago," said Mr. Jenkins, watching him closely, "and while he was
+    getting it out of his eyes they upset him and made off with his helmet
+    and truncheon.  I just met Brown and he says Cooper's been going on like
+    a madman."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "By Jove! it's a good job I mended your helmet for you," said Mr. Drill,
+    "or else they might have suspected you."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins stared at him.  "I know who did do it," he said,
+    significantly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Herbert Sims?" guessed Mr. Drill, in a stage whisper.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You'll be one o' the first to know," said Mr. Jenkins, darkly; "he'll be
+    arrested to-morrow.  Fancy the impudence of it!  It's shocking."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill whistled.  "Nell, don't let that little affair o' yours with
+    Sims be known," he said, quietly.  "Have that kept quiet&mdash;if you can."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins started as though he had been stung.  In the joy of a case he
+    had overlooked one or two things.  He turned and regarded the young man
+    wistfully.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr. Drill.  "I
+    never was a mischief-maker, and I shouldn't like to have to tell how you
+    lent your helmet to Sims so that he could pretend he had knocked Cooper
+    down and taken it from him."
+</p>
+<a name="image-42"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="042.jpg" height="515" width="550"
+alt="'don't Call on Me As a Witness, That's All,' Continued Mr.
+Drill.
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "Wouldn't look at all well," said Mr. Gunnill, nodding his head sagely.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins breathed hard and looked from one to the other.  It was plain
+    that it was no good reminding them that he had not had a case for five
+    years.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "When I say that I know who did it," he said, slowly, "I mean that I have
+    my suspicions."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all,' continued Mr. Drill."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ah," said Mr. Drill, "that's a very different thing."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Nothing like the same," said Mr. Gunnill, pouring the constable a glass
+    of ale.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins drank it and smacked his lips feebly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Sims needn't know anything about that helmet being repaired," he said at
+    last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Certainly not," said everybody.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins sighed and turned to Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It's no good spoiling the ship for a ha'porth o' tar," he said, with a
+    faint suspicion of a wink.  "No," said Drill, looking puzzled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Anything that's worth doing at all is worth doing well," continued the
+    constable, "and while I'm drinking another glass with Mr. Gunnill here,
+    suppose you go into the kitchen with that useful bag o' yours and finish
+    repairing my truncheon?"
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+***** This file should be named 12208-h.htm or 12208-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/0/12208/
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/etext06
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/12208-h/title.jpg b/12208-h/title.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c4b3bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208-h/title.jpg
diff --git a/12208.txt b/12208.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b1d0b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,985 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Changing Numbers
+       Odd Craft, Part 8.
+
+Author: W.W. Jacobs
+
+Release Date: April 29, 2004 [EBook #12208]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+ODD CRAFT
+
+By W.W. Jacobs
+
+
+
+THE CHANGING NUMBERS
+
+The tall clock in the corner of the small living-room had just struck
+eight as Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding staircase
+and, opening the door at the foot, stepped with an appearance of great
+care and humility into the room.  He noticed with some anxiety that his
+daughter Selina was apparently engrossed in her task of attending to the
+plants in the window, and that no preparations whatever had been made for
+breakfast.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding
+staircase."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's horticultural duties seemed interminable.  She snipped off
+dead leaves with painstaking precision, and administered water with the
+jealous care of a druggist compounding a prescription; then, with her
+back still toward him, she gave vent to a sigh far too intense in its
+nature to have reference to such trivialities as plants.  She repeated it
+twice, and at the second time Mr. Gunnill, almost without his knowledge,
+uttered a deprecatory cough.
+
+His daughter turned with alarming swiftness and, holding herself very
+upright, favoured him with a glance in which indignation and surprise
+were very fairly mingled.
+
+"That white one--that one at the end," said Mr. Gunnill, with an
+appearance of concentrated interest, "that's my fav'rite."
+
+Miss Gunnill put her hands together, and a look of infinite
+long-suffering came upon her face, but she made no reply.
+
+"Always has been," continued Mr. Gunnill, feverishly, "from a--from a
+cutting."
+
+"Bailed out," said Miss Gunnill, in a deep and thrilling voice; "bailed
+out at one o'clock in the morning, brought home singing loud enough for
+half-a-dozen, and then talking about flowers!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill coughed again.
+
+"I was dreaming," pursued Miss Gunnill, plaintively, "sleeping
+peacefully, when I was awoke by a horrible noise."
+
+"That couldn't ha' been me," protested her father.  "I was only a bit
+cheerful.  It was Benjamin Ely's birthday yesterday, and after we left
+the Lion they started singing, and I just hummed to keep 'em company.  I
+wasn't singing, mind you, only humming--when up comes that interfering
+Cooper and takes me off."
+
+Miss Gunnill shivered, and with her pretty cheek in her hand sat by the
+window the very picture of despondency.  "Why didn't he take the others?"
+she inquired.
+
+"Ah!" said Mr. Gunnill, with great emphasis, "that's what a lot more of
+us would like to know.  P'r'aps if you'd been more polite to Mrs. Cooper,
+instead o' putting it about that she looked young enough to be his
+mother, it wouldn't have happened."
+
+His daughter shook her head impatiently and, on Mr. Gunnill making an
+allusion to breakfast, expressed surprise that he had got the heart to
+eat any-thing.  Mr. Gunnill pressing the point, however, she arose and
+began to set the table, the undue care with which she smoothed out the
+creases of the table-cloth, and the mathematical exactness with which she
+placed the various articles, all being so many extra smarts in his wound.
+When she finally placed on the table enough food for a dozen people he
+began to show signs of a little spirit.
+
+"Ain't you going to have any?" he demanded, as Miss Gunnill resumed her
+seat by the window.
+
+"Me?" said the girl, with a shudder.  "Breakfast?  The disgrace is
+breakfast enough for me.  I couldn't eat a morsel; it would choke me."
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her over the rim of his teacup.  "I come down an hour
+ago," he said, casually, as he helped himself to some bacon.
+
+Miss Gunnill started despite herself.  "Oh!" she said, listlessly.
+
+"And I see you making a very good breakfast all by yourself in the
+kitchen," continued her father, in a voice not free from the taint of
+triumph.
+
+The discomfited Selina rose and stood regarding him; Mr. Gunnill, after a
+vain attempt to meet her gaze, busied himself with his meal.
+
+"The idea of watching every mouthful I eat!"  said Miss Gunnill,
+tragically; "the idea of complaining because I have some breakfast!  I'd
+never have believed it of you, never!  It's shameful!  Fancy grudging
+your own daughter the food she eats!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her in dismay.  In his confusion he had overestimated
+the capacity of his mouth, and he now strove in vain to reply to this
+shameful perversion of his meaning.  His daughter stood watching him with
+grief in one eye and calculation in the other, and, just as he had put
+himself into a position to exercise his rights of free speech, gave a
+pathetic sniff and walked out of the room.
+
+She stayed indoors all day, but the necessity of establishing his
+innocence took Mr. Gunnill out a great deal.  His neighbours, in the hope
+of further excitement, warmly pressed him to go to prison rather than pay
+a fine, and instanced the example of an officer in the Salvation Army,
+who, in very different circumstances, had elected to take that course.
+Mr. Gunnill assured them that only his known antipathy to the army, and
+the fear of being regarded as one of its followers, prevented him from
+doing so.  He paid instead a fine of ten shillings, and after listening
+to a sermon, in which his silver hairs served as the text, was permitted
+to depart.  His feeling against Police-constable Cooper increased with
+the passing of the days.  The constable watched him with the air of a
+proprietor, and Mrs. Cooper's remark that "her husband had had his eye
+upon him for a long time, and that he had better be careful for the
+future," was faithfully retailed to him within half an hour of its
+utterance.  Convivial friends counted his cups for him; teetotal friends
+more than hinted that Cooper was in the employ of his good angel.
+
+[Illustration: "The constable watched him with the air of a proprietor."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's two principal admirers had an arduous task to perform.
+They had to attribute Mr. Gunnill's disaster to the vindictiveness of
+Cooper, and at the same time to agree with his daughter that it served
+him right.  Between father and daughter they had a difficult time, Mr.
+Gunnill's sensitiveness having been much heightened by his troubles.
+
+"Cooper ought not to have taken you," said Herbert Sims for the fiftieth
+time.
+
+"He must ha' seen you like it dozens o' times before," said Ted Drill,
+who, in his determination not to be outdone by Mr. Sims, was not
+displaying his usual judgment.  "Why didn't he take you then?  That's
+what you ought to have asked the magistrate."
+
+"I don't understand you," said Mr. Gunnill, with an air of cold dignity.
+
+"Why," said Mr. Drill, "what I mean is--look at that night, for instance,
+when----"
+
+He broke off suddenly, even his enthusiasm not being proof against the
+extraordinary contortions of visage in which Mr. Gunnill was indulging.
+
+"When?"  prompted Selina and Mr. Sims together.  Mr. Gunnill, after first
+daring him with his eye, followed suit.
+
+"That night at the Crown," said Mr. Drill, awkwardly.  "You know; when
+you thought that Joe Baggs was the landlord.  You tell 'em; you tell it
+best.  I've roared over it."
+
+"I don't know what you're driving at," said the harassed Mr. Gunnill,
+bitterly.
+
+"H'm!"  said Mr. Drill, with a weak laugh.  "I've been mixing you up with
+somebody else."
+
+Mr. Gunnill, obviously relieved, said that he ought to be more careful,
+and pointed out, with some feeling, that a lot of mischief was caused
+that way.
+
+"Cooper wants a lesson, that's what he wants," said Mr. Sims, valiantly.
+"He'll get his head broke one of these days."
+
+Mr. Gunnill acquiesced.  "I remember when I was on the _Peewit,_" he
+said, musingly, "one time when we were lying at Cardiff, there was a
+policeman there run one of our chaps in, and two nights afterward another
+of our chaps pushed the policeman down in the mud and ran off with his
+staff and his helmet."
+
+Miss Gunnill's eyes glistened.  "What happened?" she inquired.
+
+"He had to leave the force," replied her father; "he couldn't stand the
+disgrace of it.  The chap that pushed him over was quite a little chap,
+too.  About the size of Herbert here."
+
+Mr. Sims started.
+
+"Very much like him in face, too," pursued Mr. Gunnill; "daring chap he
+was."
+
+Miss Gunnill sighed.  "I wish he lived in Little-stow," she said, slowly.
+"I'd give anything to take that horrid Mrs. Cooper down a bit.  Cooper
+would be the laughing-stock of the town."
+
+Messrs. Sims and Drill looked unhappy.  It was hard to have to affect an
+attitude of indifference in the face of Miss Gunnill's lawless yearnings;
+to stand before her as respectable and law-abiding cravens.  Her eyes,
+large and sorrowful; dwelt on them both.
+
+"If I--I only get a chance at Cooper!" murmured Mr. Sims, vaguely.
+
+To his surprise, Mr. Gunnill started up from his chair and, gripping his
+hand, shook it fervently.  He looked round, and Selina was regarding him
+with a glance so tender that he lost his head completely.  Before he had
+recovered he had pledged himself to lay the helmet and truncheon of the
+redoubtable Mr. Cooper at the feet of Miss Gunnill; exact date not
+specified.
+
+"Of course, I shall have to wait my opportunity," he said, at last.
+
+"You wait as long as you like, my boy," said the thoughtless Mr. Gunnill.
+
+Mr. Sims thanked him.
+
+"Wait till Cooper's an old man," urged Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill, secretly disappointed at the lack of boldness and devotion
+on the part of the latter gentleman, eyed his stalwart frame indignantly
+and accused him of trying to make Mr. Sims as timid as himself.  She
+turned to the valiant Sims and made herself so agreeable to that daring
+blade that Mr. Drill, a prey to violent jealousy, bade the company a curt
+good-night and withdrew.
+
+He stayed away for nearly a week, and then one evening as he approached
+the house, carrying a carpet-bag, he saw the door just opening to admit
+the fortunate Herbert.  He quickened his pace and arrived just in time to
+follow him in.  Mr. Sims, who bore under his arm a brown-paper parcel,
+seemed somewhat embarrassed at seeing him, and after a brief greeting
+walked into the room, and with a triumphant glance at Mr. Gunnill and
+Selina placed his burden on the table.
+
+[Illustration: "He saw the door just opening to admit the fortunate
+Herbert."]
+
+"You--you ain't got it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, leaning forward.
+
+"How foolish of you to run such a risk!"  said Selina.
+
+"I brought it for Miss Gunnill," said the young man, simply.  He
+unfastened the parcel, and to the astonishment of all present revealed a
+policeman's helmet and a short boxwood truncheon.
+
+"You--you're a wonder," said the gloating Mr. Gunnill.  "Look at it,
+Ted!"
+
+Mr. Drill was looking at it; it may be doubted whether the head of Mr.
+Cooper itself could have caused him more astonishment.  Then his eyes
+sought those of Mr. Sims, but that gentleman was gazing tenderly at the
+gratified but shocked Selina.
+
+"How ever did you do it?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Came behind him and threw him down," said Mr. Sims, nonchalantly.  "He
+was that scared I believe I could have taken his boots as well if I'd
+wanted them."
+
+Mr. Gunnill patted him on the back.  "I fancy I can see him running
+bare-headed through the town calling for help," he said, smiling.
+
+Mr. Sims shook his head.  "Like as not it'll be kept quiet for the credit
+of the force," he said, slowly, "unless, of course, they discover who did
+it."
+
+A slight shade fell on the good-humoured countenance of Mr. Gunnill, but
+it was chased away almost immediately by Sims reminding him of the chaff
+of Cooper's brother-constables.
+
+"And you might take the others away," said Mr. Gunnill, brightening; "you
+might keep on doing it."
+
+Mr. Sims said doubtfully that he might, but pointed out that Cooper would
+probably be on his guard for the future.
+
+"Yes, you've done your share," said Miss Gunnill, with a half-glance at
+Mr. Drill, who was still gazing in a bewildered fashion at the trophies.
+"You can come into the kitchen and help me draw some beer if you like."
+
+Mr. Sims followed her joyfully, and reaching down a jug for her watched
+her tenderly as she drew the beer.  All women love valour, but Miss
+Gunnill, gazing sadly at the slight figure of Mr. Sims, could not help
+wishing that Mr. Drill possessed a little of his spirit.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Sims watched her tenderly as she drew the beer."]
+
+She had just finished her task when a tremendous bumping noise was heard
+in the living-room, and the plates on the dresser were nearly shaken off
+their shelves.
+
+"What's that?" she cried.
+
+They ran to the room and stood aghast in the doorway at the spectacle of
+Mr. Gunnill, with his clenched fists held tightly by his side, bounding
+into the air with all the grace of a trained acrobat, while Mr. Drill
+encouraged him from an easy-chair.  Mr. Gunnill smiled broadly as he met
+their astonished gaze, and with a final bound kicked something along the
+floor and subsided into his seat panting.
+
+Mr. Sims, suddenly enlightened, uttered a cry of dismay and, darting
+under the table, picked up what had once been a policeman's helmet.  Then
+he snatched a partially consumed truncheon from the fire, and stood white
+and trembling before the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"What's the matter?" inquired the latter.  "You--you've spoilt 'em,"
+gasped Mr. Sims.  "What of it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, staring.
+
+"I was--going to take 'em away," stammered Mr. Sims.
+
+"Well, they'll be easier to carry now," said Mr. Drill, simply.
+
+Mr. Sims glanced at him sharply, and then, to the extreme astonishment of
+Mr. Gunnill, snatched up the relics and, wrapping them up in the paper,
+dashed out of the house.  Mr. Gunnill turned a look of blank inquiry upon
+Mr. Drill.
+
+"It wasn't Cooper's number on the helmet," said that gentleman.
+
+"Eh?" shouted Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"How do you know?" inquired Selina.
+
+"I just happened to notice," replied Mr. Drill.  He reached down as
+though to take up the carpet-bag which he had placed by the side of his
+chair, and then, apparently thinking better of it, leaned back in his
+seat and eyed Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Do you mean to tell me," said the latter, "that he's been and upset the
+wrong man?"
+
+Mr. Drill shook his head.  "That's the puzzle," he said, softly.
+
+He smiled over at Miss Gunnill, but that young lady, who found him
+somewhat mysterious, looked away and frowned.  Her father sat and
+exhausted conjecture, his final conclusion being that Mr. Sims had
+attacked the first policeman that had come in his way and was now
+suffering the agonies of remorse.
+
+He raised his head sharply at the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
+There was a smart rap at the street door, then the handle was turned, and
+the next moment, to the dismay of all present, the red and angry face of
+one of Mr. Cooper's brother-constables was thrust into the room.
+
+Mr. Gunnill gazed at it in helpless fascination.  The body of the
+constable garbed in plain clothes followed the face and, standing before
+him in a menacing fashion, held out a broken helmet and staff.
+
+"Have you seen these afore?" he inquired, in a terrible voice.
+
+"No," said Mr. Gunnill, with an attempt at surprise.  "What are they?"
+
+"I'll tell you what they are," said Police-constable Jenkins,
+ferociously; "they're my helmet and truncheon.  You've been spoiling His
+Majesty's property, and you'll be locked up."
+
+"Yours?" said the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"I lent 'em to young Sims, just for a joke," said the constable.  "I felt
+all along I was doing a silly thing."
+
+"It's no joke," said Mr. Gunnill, severely.  "I'll tell young Herbert
+what I think of him trying to deceive me like that."
+
+"Never mind about deceiving," interrupted the constable.  "What are you
+going to do about it?"
+
+"What are you?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill, hardily.  "It seems to me it's
+between you and him; you'll very likely be dismissed from the force, and
+all through trying to deceive.  I wash my hands of it."
+
+"You'd no business to lend it," said Drill, interrupting the constable's
+indignant retort; "especially for Sims to pretend that he had stolen it
+from Cooper.  It's a roundabout sort of thing, but you can't tell of Mr.
+Gunnill without getting into trouble yourself."
+
+"I shall have to put up with that," said the constable, desperately;
+"it's got to be explained.  It's my day-helmet, too, and the night one's
+as shabby as can be.  Twenty years in the force and never a mark against
+my name till now."
+
+"If you'd only keep quiet a bit instead of talking so much," said Mr.
+Drill, who had been doing some hard thinking, "I might be able to help
+you, p'r'aps."
+
+"How?" inquired the constable.
+
+"Help him if you can, Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, eagerly; "we ought all to
+help others when we get a chance."
+
+Mr. Drill sat bolt upright and looked very wise.
+
+He took the smashed helmet from the table and examined it carefully.  It
+was broken in at least half-a-dozen places, and he laboured in vain to
+push it into shape.  He might as well have tried to make a silk hat out
+of a concertina.  The only thing that had escaped injury was the metal
+plate with the number.
+
+"Why don't you mend it?"  he inquired, at last.
+
+"Mend it?" shouted the incensed Mr. Jenkins.  "Why don't you?"
+
+"I think I could," said Mr. Drill, slowly; "give me half an hour in the
+kitchen and I'll try."
+
+"Have as long as you like," said Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"And I shall want some glue, and Miss Gunnill, and some tin-tacks," said
+Drill.
+
+"What do you want me for?" inquired Selina.
+
+"To hold the things for me," replied Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill tossed her head, but after a little demur consented; and
+Drill, ignoring the impatience of the constable, picked up his bag and
+led the way into the kitchen.  Messrs. Gunnill and Jenkins, left behind
+in the living-room, sought for some neutral topic of discourse, but in
+vain; conversation would revolve round hard labour and lost pensions.
+From the kitchen came sounds of hammering, then a loud "Ooh!" from Miss
+Gunnill, followed by a burst of laughter and a clapping of hands.  Mr.
+Jenkins shifted in his seat and exchanged glances with Mr. Gunnill.
+
+[Illustration: "From the kitchen came sounds of hammering."]
+
+"He's a clever fellow," said that gentleman, hopefully.  "You should hear
+him imitate a canary; life-like it is."
+
+Mr. Jenkins was about to make a hasty and obvious rejoinder, when the
+kitchen door opened and Selina emerged, followed by Drill.  The snarl
+which the constable had prepared died away in a murmur of astonishment as
+he took the helmet.  It looked as good as ever.
+
+He turned it over and over in amaze, and looked in vain for any signs of
+the disastrous cracks.  It was stiff and upright.  He looked at the
+number: it was his own.  His eyes round with astonishment he tried it on,
+and then his face relaxed.
+
+"It don't fit as well as it did," he said.
+
+"Well, upon my word, some people are never satisfied," said the indignant
+Drill.  "There isn't another man in England could have done it better."
+
+"I'm not grumbling," said the constable, hastily; "it's a wonderful piece
+o' work.  Wonderful!  I can't even see where it was broke.  How on earth
+did you do it?"
+
+Drill shook his head.  "It's a secret process," he said, slowly.  "I
+might want to go into the hat trade some day, and I'm not going to give
+things away."
+
+"Quite right," said Mr. Jenkins.  "Still--well, it's a marvel, that's
+what it is; a fair marvel.  If you take my advice you'll go in the hat
+trade to-morrow, my lad."
+
+"I'm not surprised," said Mr. Gunnill, whose face as he spoke was a map
+of astonishment.  "Not a bit.  I've seen him do more surprising things
+than that.  Have a go at the staff now, Teddy."
+
+"I'll see about it," said Mr. Drill, modestly.  "I can't do
+impossibilities.  You leave it here, Mr. Jenkins, and we'll talk about it
+later on."
+
+Mr. Jenkins, still marvelling over his helmet, assented, and, after
+another reference to the possibilities in the hat trade to a man with a
+born gift for repairs, wrapped his property in a piece of newspaper and
+departed, whistling.
+
+"Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, impressively, as he sank into his chair with a
+sigh of relief.  "How you done it I don't know.  It's a surprise even to
+me."
+
+"He is very clever," said Selina, with a kind smile
+
+Mr. Drill turned pale, and then, somewhat emboldened by praise from such
+a quarter, dropped into a chair by her side and began to talk in low
+tones.  The grateful Mr. Gunnill, more relieved than he cared to confess,
+thoughtfully closed his eyes.
+
+"I didn't think all along that you'd let Herbert outdo you," said Selina.
+
+"I want to outdo him," said Mr. Drill, in a voice of much meaning.
+
+Miss Gunnill cast down her eyes and Mr. Drill had just plucked up
+sufficient courage to take her hand when footsteps stopped at the house,
+the handle of the door was turned, and, for the second time that evening,
+the inflamed visage of Mr. Jenkins confronted the company.
+
+"Don't tell me it's a failure," said Mr. Gunnill, starting from his
+chair.  "You must have been handling it roughly.  It was as good as new
+when you took it away."
+
+Mr. Jenkins waved him away and fixed his eyes upon Drill.
+
+"You think you're mighty clever, I dare say," he said, grimly; "but I can
+put two and two together.  I've just heard of it."
+
+"Heard of two and two?" said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"I don't want any of your nonsense," said Mr. Jenkins.  "I'm not on duty
+now, but I warn you not to say anything that may be used against you."
+
+"I never do," said Mr. Drill, piously.
+
+"Somebody threw a handful o' flour in poor Cooper's face a couple of
+hours ago," said Mr. Jenkins, watching him closely, "and while he was
+getting it out of his eyes they upset him and made off with his helmet
+and truncheon.  I just met Brown and he says Cooper's been going on like
+a madman."
+
+"By Jove! it's a good job I mended your helmet for you," said Mr. Drill,
+"or else they might have suspected you."
+
+Mr. Jenkins stared at him.  "I know who did do it," he said,
+significantly.
+
+"Herbert Sims?" guessed Mr. Drill, in a stage whisper.
+
+"You'll be one o' the first to know," said Mr. Jenkins, darkly; "he'll be
+arrested to-morrow.  Fancy the impudence of it!  It's shocking."
+
+Mr. Drill whistled.  "Nell, don't let that little affair o' yours with
+Sims be known," he said, quietly.  "Have that kept quiet--if you can."
+
+Mr. Jenkins started as though he had been stung.  In the joy of a case he
+had overlooked one or two things.  He turned and regarded the young man
+wistfully.
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr. Drill.  "I
+never was a mischief-maker, and I shouldn't like to have to tell how you
+lent your helmet to Sims so that he could pretend he had knocked Cooper
+down and taken it from him."
+
+[Illustration: "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr.
+Drill.]
+
+"Wouldn't look at all well," said Mr. Gunnill, nodding his head sagely.
+
+Mr. Jenkins breathed hard and looked from one to the other.  It was plain
+that it was no good reminding them that he had not had a case for five
+years.
+
+"When I say that I know who did it," he said, slowly, "I mean that I have
+my suspicions."
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all,' continued Mr. Drill."
+
+"Ah," said Mr. Drill, "that's a very different thing."
+
+"Nothing like the same," said Mr. Gunnill, pouring the constable a glass
+of ale.
+
+Mr. Jenkins drank it and smacked his lips feebly.
+
+"Sims needn't know anything about that helmet being repaired," he said at
+last.
+
+"Certainly not," said everybody.
+
+Mr. Jenkins sighed and turned to Drill.
+
+"It's no good spoiling the ship for a ha'porth o' tar," he said, with a
+faint suspicion of a wink.  "No," said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"Anything that's worth doing at all is worth doing well," continued the
+constable, "and while I'm drinking another glass with Mr. Gunnill here,
+suppose you go into the kitchen with that useful bag o' yours and finish
+repairing my truncheon?"
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+***** This file should be named 12208.txt or 12208.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/0/12208/
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/etext06
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL
+
+
diff --git a/12208.zip b/12208.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c73562a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12208.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9da4998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #12208 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12208)
diff --git a/old/12208-h.zip b/old/12208-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5ad72e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h.zip
diff --git a/old/12208-h/037.jpg b/old/12208-h/037.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..060338c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/037.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/038.jpg b/old/12208-h/038.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3199a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/038.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/039.jpg b/old/12208-h/039.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3908be2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/039.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/040.jpg b/old/12208-h/040.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74119b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/040.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/041.jpg b/old/12208-h/041.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..387e576
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/041.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/042.jpg b/old/12208-h/042.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d650b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/042.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208-h/12208-h.htm b/old/12208-h/12208-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81e2a09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/12208-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,1285 @@
+<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
+<html>
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
+    content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Odd Craft
+    By W. W. Jacobs: Part 8
+</title>
+
+<style type="text/css">
+    <!--
+    P { text-indent:   1em;
+	      margin:        15%;
+        margin-top:    .75em;
+        text-align:    justify;
+        margin-bottom: .75em; }
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; }
+    HR  { width: 33%; }
+    PRE { font-family: cursive}
+    .toc  { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;}
+    CENTER { padding: 10px;}
+    // -->
+</style>
+
+</head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Changing Numbers
+       Odd Craft, Part 8.
+
+Author: W.W. Jacobs
+
+Release Date: April 29, 2004 [EBook #12208]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: US-ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<br><br>
+<center>
+<img alt="title (42K)" src="title.jpg" height="658" width="479" />
+</center>
+<br><br>
+<br /><br />
+<h2>
+    1909
+</h2>
+
+<center>
+<h3>PART 8.</h3>
+</center>
+
+<br /><br />
+<hr>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+<h2>List of Illustrations</h2>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-37">
+"Mr. Samuel Gunnill Came Stealthily Down the Winding
+Staircase."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-38">
+"The Constable Watched Him With the Air of a Proprietor."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-39">
+"He Saw the Door Just Opening to Admit The Fortunate
+Herbert."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-40">
+"Mr. Sims Watched Her Tenderly As She Drew the Beer."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-41">
+"From the Kitchen Came Sounds of Hammering."
+</a></p>
+<p class="toc"><a href="#image-42">
+"Don't Call on Me As a Witness, That's All," Continued Mr.
+Drill.
+</a></p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<hr>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<a name="2H_4_8"><!-- H2 anchor --></a>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h2>
+    THE CHANGING NUMBERS
+</h2>
+<p>
+    The tall clock in the corner of the small living-room had just struck
+    eight as Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding staircase
+    and, opening the door at the foot, stepped with an appearance of great
+    care and humility into the room.  He noticed with some anxiety that his
+    daughter Selina was apparently engrossed in her task of attending to the
+    plants in the window, and that no preparations whatever had been made for
+    breakfast.
+</p>
+<a name="image-37"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="037.jpg" height="412" width="550"
+alt="'mr. Samuel Gunnill Came Stealthily Down the Winding
+Staircase.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's horticultural duties seemed interminable.  She snipped off
+    dead leaves with painstaking precision, and administered water with the
+    jealous care of a druggist compounding a prescription; then, with her
+    back still toward him, she gave vent to a sigh far too intense in its
+    nature to have reference to such trivialities as plants.  She repeated it
+    twice, and at the second time Mr. Gunnill, almost without his knowledge,
+    uttered a deprecatory cough.
+</p>
+<p>
+    His daughter turned with alarming swiftness and, holding herself very
+    upright, favoured him with a glance in which indignation and surprise
+    were very fairly mingled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That white one&mdash;that one at the end," said Mr. Gunnill, with an
+    appearance of concentrated interest, "that's my fav'rite."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill put her hands together, and a look of infinite
+    long-suffering came upon her face, but she made no reply.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Always has been," continued Mr. Gunnill, feverishly, "from a&mdash;from a
+    cutting."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Bailed out," said Miss Gunnill, in a deep and thrilling voice; "bailed
+    out at one o'clock in the morning, brought home singing loud enough for
+    half-a-dozen, and then talking about flowers!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill coughed again.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I was dreaming," pursued Miss Gunnill, plaintively, "sleeping
+    peacefully, when I was awoke by a horrible noise."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That couldn't ha' been me," protested her father.  "I was only a bit
+    cheerful.  It was Benjamin Ely's birthday yesterday, and after we left
+    the Lion they started singing, and I just hummed to keep 'em company.  I
+    wasn't singing, mind you, only humming&mdash;when up comes that interfering
+    Cooper and takes me off."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill shivered, and with her pretty cheek in her hand sat by the
+    window the very picture of despondency.  "Why didn't he take the others?"
+    she inquired.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ah!" said Mr. Gunnill, with great emphasis, "that's what a lot more of
+    us would like to know.  P'r'aps if you'd been more polite to Mrs. Cooper,
+    instead o' putting it about that she looked young enough to be his
+    mother, it wouldn't have happened."
+</p>
+<p>
+    His daughter shook her head impatiently and, on Mr. Gunnill making an
+    allusion to breakfast, expressed surprise that he had got the heart to
+    eat any-thing.  Mr. Gunnill pressing the point, however, she arose and
+    began to set the table, the undue care with which she smoothed out the
+    creases of the table-cloth, and the mathematical exactness with which she
+    placed the various articles, all being so many extra smarts in his wound.
+    When she finally placed on the table enough food for a dozen people he
+    began to show signs of a little spirit.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ain't you going to have any?" he demanded, as Miss Gunnill resumed her
+    seat by the window.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Me?" said the girl, with a shudder.  "Breakfast?  The disgrace is
+    breakfast enough for me.  I couldn't eat a morsel; it would choke me."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill eyed her over the rim of his teacup.  "I come down an hour
+    ago," he said, casually, as he helped himself to some bacon.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill started despite herself.  "Oh!" she said, listlessly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And I see you making a very good breakfast all by yourself in the
+    kitchen," continued her father, in a voice not free from the taint of
+    triumph.
+</p>
+<p>
+    The discomfited Selina rose and stood regarding him; Mr. Gunnill, after a
+    vain attempt to meet her gaze, busied himself with his meal.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "The idea of watching every mouthful I eat!"  said Miss Gunnill,
+    tragically; "the idea of complaining because I have some breakfast!  I'd
+    never have believed it of you, never!  It's shameful!  Fancy grudging
+    your own daughter the food she eats!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill eyed her in dismay.  In his confusion he had overestimated
+    the capacity of his mouth, and he now strove in vain to reply to this
+    shameful perversion of his meaning.  His daughter stood watching him with
+    grief in one eye and calculation in the other, and, just as he had put
+    himself into a position to exercise his rights of free speech, gave a
+    pathetic sniff and walked out of the room.
+</p>
+<p>
+    She stayed indoors all day, but the necessity of establishing his
+    innocence took Mr. Gunnill out a great deal.  His neighbours, in the hope
+    of further excitement, warmly pressed him to go to prison rather than pay
+    a fine, and instanced the example of an officer in the Salvation Army,
+    who, in very different circumstances, had elected to take that course.
+    Mr. Gunnill assured them that only his known antipathy to the army, and
+    the fear of being regarded as one of its followers, prevented him from
+    doing so.  He paid instead a fine of ten shillings, and after listening
+    to a sermon, in which his silver hairs served as the text, was permitted
+    to depart.  His feeling against Police-constable Cooper increased with
+    the passing of the days.  The constable watched him with the air of a
+    proprietor, and Mrs. Cooper's remark that "her husband had had his eye
+    upon him for a long time, and that he had better be careful for the
+    future," was faithfully retailed to him within half an hour of its
+    utterance.  Convivial friends counted his cups for him; teetotal friends
+    more than hinted that Cooper was in the employ of his good angel.
+</p>
+<a name="image-38"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="038.jpg" height="612" width="609"
+alt="'the Constable Watched Him With the Air of a Proprietor.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's two principal admirers had an arduous task to perform.
+    They had to attribute Mr. Gunnill's disaster to the vindictiveness of
+    Cooper, and at the same time to agree with his daughter that it served
+    him right.  Between father and daughter they had a difficult time, Mr.
+    Gunnill's sensitiveness having been much heightened by his troubles.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Cooper ought not to have taken you," said Herbert Sims for the fiftieth
+    time.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He must ha' seen you like it dozens o' times before," said Ted Drill,
+    who, in his determination not to be outdone by Mr. Sims, was not
+    displaying his usual judgment.  "Why didn't he take you then?  That's
+    what you ought to have asked the magistrate."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't understand you," said Mr. Gunnill, with an air of cold dignity.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Why," said Mr. Drill, "what I mean is&mdash;look at that night, for instance,
+    when&mdash;&mdash;"
+</p>
+<p>
+    He broke off suddenly, even his enthusiasm not being proof against the
+    extraordinary contortions of visage in which Mr. Gunnill was indulging.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "When?"  prompted Selina and Mr. Sims together.  Mr. Gunnill, after first
+    daring him with his eye, followed suit.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "That night at the Crown," said Mr. Drill, awkwardly.  "You know; when
+    you thought that Joe Baggs was the landlord.  You tell 'em; you tell it
+    best.  I've roared over it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't know what you're driving at," said the harassed Mr. Gunnill,
+    bitterly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "H'm!"  said Mr. Drill, with a weak laugh.  "I've been mixing you up with
+    somebody else."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill, obviously relieved, said that he ought to be more careful,
+    and pointed out, with some feeling, that a lot of mischief was caused
+    that way.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Cooper wants a lesson, that's what he wants," said Mr. Sims, valiantly.
+    "He'll get his head broke one of these days."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill acquiesced.  "I remember when I was on the <i>Peewit,</i>" he
+    said, musingly, "one time when we were lying at Cardiff, there was a
+    policeman there run one of our chaps in, and two nights afterward another
+    of our chaps pushed the policeman down in the mud and ran off with his
+    staff and his helmet."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill's eyes glistened.  "What happened?" she inquired.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He had to leave the force," replied her father; "he couldn't stand the
+    disgrace of it.  The chap that pushed him over was quite a little chap,
+    too.  About the size of Herbert here."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims started.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Very much like him in face, too," pursued Mr. Gunnill; "daring chap he
+    was."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill sighed.  "I wish he lived in Little-stow," she said, slowly.
+    "I'd give anything to take that horrid Mrs. Cooper down a bit.  Cooper
+    would be the laughing-stock of the town."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Messrs. Sims and Drill looked unhappy.  It was hard to have to affect an
+    attitude of indifference in the face of Miss Gunnill's lawless yearnings;
+    to stand before her as respectable and law-abiding cravens.  Her eyes,
+    large and sorrowful; dwelt on them both.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "If I&mdash;I only get a chance at Cooper!" murmured Mr. Sims, vaguely.
+</p>
+<p>
+    To his surprise, Mr. Gunnill started up from his chair and, gripping his
+    hand, shook it fervently.  He looked round, and Selina was regarding him
+    with a glance so tender that he lost his head completely.  Before he had
+    recovered he had pledged himself to lay the helmet and truncheon of the
+    redoubtable Mr. Cooper at the feet of Miss Gunnill; exact date not
+    specified.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Of course, I shall have to wait my opportunity," he said, at last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You wait as long as you like, my boy," said the thoughtless Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims thanked him.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Wait till Cooper's an old man," urged Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill, secretly disappointed at the lack of boldness and devotion
+    on the part of the latter gentleman, eyed his stalwart frame indignantly
+    and accused him of trying to make Mr. Sims as timid as himself.  She
+    turned to the valiant Sims and made herself so agreeable to that daring
+    blade that Mr. Drill, a prey to violent jealousy, bade the company a curt
+    good-night and withdrew.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He stayed away for nearly a week, and then one evening as he approached
+    the house, carrying a carpet-bag, he saw the door just opening to admit
+    the fortunate Herbert.  He quickened his pace and arrived just in time to
+    follow him in.  Mr. Sims, who bore under his arm a brown-paper parcel,
+    seemed somewhat embarrassed at seeing him, and after a brief greeting
+    walked into the room, and with a triumphant glance at Mr. Gunnill and
+    Selina placed his burden on the table.
+</p>
+<a name="image-39"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="039.jpg" height="446" width="553"
+alt="'he Saw the Door Just Opening to Admit The Fortunate
+Herbert.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "You&mdash;you ain't got it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, leaning forward.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How foolish of you to run such a risk!"  said Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I brought it for Miss Gunnill," said the young man, simply.  He
+    unfastened the parcel, and to the astonishment of all present revealed a
+    policeman's helmet and a short boxwood truncheon.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You&mdash;you're a wonder," said the gloating Mr. Gunnill.  "Look at it,
+    Ted!"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill was looking at it; it may be doubted whether the head of Mr.
+    Cooper itself could have caused him more astonishment.  Then his eyes
+    sought those of Mr. Sims, but that gentleman was gazing tenderly at the
+    gratified but shocked Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How ever did you do it?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Came behind him and threw him down," said Mr. Sims, nonchalantly.  "He
+    was that scared I believe I could have taken his boots as well if I'd
+    wanted them."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill patted him on the back.  "I fancy I can see him running
+    bare-headed through the town calling for help," he said, smiling.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims shook his head.  "Like as not it'll be kept quiet for the credit
+    of the force," he said, slowly, "unless, of course, they discover who did
+    it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    A slight shade fell on the good-humoured countenance of Mr. Gunnill, but
+    it was chased away almost immediately by Sims reminding him of the chaff
+    of Cooper's brother-constables.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And you might take the others away," said Mr. Gunnill, brightening; "you
+    might keep on doing it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims said doubtfully that he might, but pointed out that Cooper would
+    probably be on his guard for the future.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Yes, you've done your share," said Miss Gunnill, with a half-glance at
+    Mr. Drill, who was still gazing in a bewildered fashion at the trophies.
+    "You can come into the kitchen and help me draw some beer if you like."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims followed her joyfully, and reaching down a jug for her watched
+    her tenderly as she drew the beer.  All women love valour, but Miss
+    Gunnill, gazing sadly at the slight figure of Mr. Sims, could not help
+    wishing that Mr. Drill possessed a little of his spirit.
+</p>
+<a name="image-40"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="040.jpg" height="492" width="561"
+alt="'mr. Sims Watched Her Tenderly As She Drew the Beer.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    She had just finished her task when a tremendous bumping noise was heard
+    in the living-room, and the plates on the dresser were nearly shaken off
+    their shelves.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What's that?" she cried.
+</p>
+<p>
+    They ran to the room and stood aghast in the doorway at the spectacle of
+    Mr. Gunnill, with his clenched fists held tightly by his side, bounding
+    into the air with all the grace of a trained acrobat, while Mr. Drill
+    encouraged him from an easy-chair.  Mr. Gunnill smiled broadly as he met
+    their astonished gaze, and with a final bound kicked something along the
+    floor and subsided into his seat panting.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims, suddenly enlightened, uttered a cry of dismay and, darting
+    under the table, picked up what had once been a policeman's helmet.  Then
+    he snatched a partially consumed truncheon from the fire, and stood white
+    and trembling before the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What's the matter?" inquired the latter.  "You&mdash;you've spoilt 'em,"
+    gasped Mr. Sims.  "What of it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, staring.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I was&mdash;going to take 'em away," stammered Mr. Sims.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Well, they'll be easier to carry now," said Mr. Drill, simply.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Sims glanced at him sharply, and then, to the extreme astonishment of
+    Mr. Gunnill, snatched up the relics and, wrapping them up in the paper,
+    dashed out of the house.  Mr. Gunnill turned a look of blank inquiry upon
+    Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It wasn't Cooper's number on the helmet," said that gentleman.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Eh?" shouted Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How do you know?" inquired Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I just happened to notice," replied Mr. Drill.  He reached down as
+    though to take up the carpet-bag which he had placed by the side of his
+    chair, and then, apparently thinking better of it, leaned back in his
+    seat and eyed Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Do you mean to tell me," said the latter, "that he's been and upset the
+    wrong man?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill shook his head.  "That's the puzzle," he said, softly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He smiled over at Miss Gunnill, but that young lady, who found him
+    somewhat mysterious, looked away and frowned.  Her father sat and
+    exhausted conjecture, his final conclusion being that Mr. Sims had
+    attacked the first policeman that had come in his way and was now
+    suffering the agonies of remorse.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He raised his head sharply at the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
+    There was a smart rap at the street door, then the handle was turned, and
+    the next moment, to the dismay of all present, the red and angry face of
+    one of Mr. Cooper's brother-constables was thrust into the room.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Gunnill gazed at it in helpless fascination.  The body of the
+    constable garbed in plain clothes followed the face and, standing before
+    him in a menacing fashion, held out a broken helmet and staff.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Have you seen these afore?" he inquired, in a terrible voice.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "No," said Mr. Gunnill, with an attempt at surprise.  "What are they?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'll tell you what they are," said Police-constable Jenkins,
+    ferociously; "they're my helmet and truncheon.  You've been spoiling His
+    Majesty's property, and you'll be locked up."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Yours?" said the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I lent 'em to young Sims, just for a joke," said the constable.  "I felt
+    all along I was doing a silly thing."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It's no joke," said Mr. Gunnill, severely.  "I'll tell young Herbert
+    what I think of him trying to deceive me like that."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Never mind about deceiving," interrupted the constable.  "What are you
+    going to do about it?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What are you?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill, hardily.  "It seems to me it's
+    between you and him; you'll very likely be dismissed from the force, and
+    all through trying to deceive.  I wash my hands of it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You'd no business to lend it," said Drill, interrupting the constable's
+    indignant retort; "especially for Sims to pretend that he had stolen it
+    from Cooper.  It's a roundabout sort of thing, but you can't tell of Mr.
+    Gunnill without getting into trouble yourself."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I shall have to put up with that," said the constable, desperately;
+    "it's got to be explained.  It's my day-helmet, too, and the night one's
+    as shabby as can be.  Twenty years in the force and never a mark against
+    my name till now."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "If you'd only keep quiet a bit instead of talking so much," said Mr.
+    Drill, who had been doing some hard thinking, "I might be able to help
+    you, p'r'aps."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "How?" inquired the constable.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Help him if you can, Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, eagerly; "we ought all to
+    help others when we get a chance."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill sat bolt upright and looked very wise.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He took the smashed helmet from the table and examined it carefully.  It
+    was broken in at least half-a-dozen places, and he laboured in vain to
+    push it into shape.  He might as well have tried to make a silk hat out
+    of a concertina.  The only thing that had escaped injury was the metal
+    plate with the number.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Why don't you mend it?"  he inquired, at last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Mend it?" shouted the incensed Mr. Jenkins.  "Why don't you?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I think I could," said Mr. Drill, slowly; "give me half an hour in the
+    kitchen and I'll try."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Have as long as you like," said Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "And I shall want some glue, and Miss Gunnill, and some tin-tacks," said
+    Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "What do you want me for?" inquired Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "To hold the things for me," replied Mr. Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill tossed her head, but after a little demur consented; and
+    Drill, ignoring the impatience of the constable, picked up his bag and
+    led the way into the kitchen.  Messrs. Gunnill and Jenkins, left behind
+    in the living-room, sought for some neutral topic of discourse, but in
+    vain; conversation would revolve round hard labour and lost pensions.
+    From the kitchen came sounds of hammering, then a loud "Ooh!" from Miss
+    Gunnill, followed by a burst of laughter and a clapping of hands.  Mr.
+    Jenkins shifted in his seat and exchanged glances with Mr. Gunnill.
+</p>
+<a name="image-41"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="041.jpg" height="691" width="565"
+alt="'from the Kitchen Came Sounds of Hammering.'
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "He's a clever fellow," said that gentleman, hopefully.  "You should hear
+    him imitate a canary; life-like it is."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins was about to make a hasty and obvious rejoinder, when the
+    kitchen door opened and Selina emerged, followed by Drill.  The snarl
+    which the constable had prepared died away in a murmur of astonishment as
+    he took the helmet.  It looked as good as ever.
+</p>
+<p>
+    He turned it over and over in amaze, and looked in vain for any signs of
+    the disastrous cracks.  It was stiff and upright.  He looked at the
+    number: it was his own.  His eyes round with astonishment he tried it on,
+    and then his face relaxed.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It don't fit as well as it did," he said.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Well, upon my word, some people are never satisfied," said the indignant
+    Drill.  "There isn't another man in England could have done it better."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'm not grumbling," said the constable, hastily; "it's a wonderful piece
+    o' work.  Wonderful!  I can't even see where it was broke.  How on earth
+    did you do it?"
+</p>
+<p>
+    Drill shook his head.  "It's a secret process," he said, slowly.  "I
+    might want to go into the hat trade some day, and I'm not going to give
+    things away."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Quite right," said Mr. Jenkins.  "Still&mdash;well, it's a marvel, that's
+    what it is; a fair marvel.  If you take my advice you'll go in the hat
+    trade to-morrow, my lad."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'm not surprised," said Mr. Gunnill, whose face as he spoke was a map
+    of astonishment.  "Not a bit.  I've seen him do more surprising things
+    than that.  Have a go at the staff now, Teddy."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I'll see about it," said Mr. Drill, modestly.  "I can't do
+    impossibilities.  You leave it here, Mr. Jenkins, and we'll talk about it
+    later on."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins, still marvelling over his helmet, assented, and, after
+    another reference to the possibilities in the hat trade to a man with a
+    born gift for repairs, wrapped his property in a piece of newspaper and
+    departed, whistling.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, impressively, as he sank into his chair with a
+    sigh of relief.  "How you done it I don't know.  It's a surprise even to
+    me."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "He is very clever," said Selina, with a kind smile
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill turned pale, and then, somewhat emboldened by praise from such
+    a quarter, dropped into a chair by her side and began to talk in low
+    tones.  The grateful Mr. Gunnill, more relieved than he cared to confess,
+    thoughtfully closed his eyes.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I didn't think all along that you'd let Herbert outdo you," said Selina.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I want to outdo him," said Mr. Drill, in a voice of much meaning.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Miss Gunnill cast down her eyes and Mr. Drill had just plucked up
+    sufficient courage to take her hand when footsteps stopped at the house,
+    the handle of the door was turned, and, for the second time that evening,
+    the inflamed visage of Mr. Jenkins confronted the company.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't tell me it's a failure," said Mr. Gunnill, starting from his
+    chair.  "You must have been handling it roughly.  It was as good as new
+    when you took it away."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins waved him away and fixed his eyes upon Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You think you're mighty clever, I dare say," he said, grimly; "but I can
+    put two and two together.  I've just heard of it."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Heard of two and two?" said Drill, looking puzzled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I don't want any of your nonsense," said Mr. Jenkins.  "I'm not on duty
+    now, but I warn you not to say anything that may be used against you."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "I never do," said Mr. Drill, piously.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Somebody threw a handful o' flour in poor Cooper's face a couple of
+    hours ago," said Mr. Jenkins, watching him closely, "and while he was
+    getting it out of his eyes they upset him and made off with his helmet
+    and truncheon.  I just met Brown and he says Cooper's been going on like
+    a madman."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "By Jove! it's a good job I mended your helmet for you," said Mr. Drill,
+    "or else they might have suspected you."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins stared at him.  "I know who did do it," he said,
+    significantly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Herbert Sims?" guessed Mr. Drill, in a stage whisper.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "You'll be one o' the first to know," said Mr. Jenkins, darkly; "he'll be
+    arrested to-morrow.  Fancy the impudence of it!  It's shocking."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Drill whistled.  "Nell, don't let that little affair o' yours with
+    Sims be known," he said, quietly.  "Have that kept quiet&mdash;if you can."
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins started as though he had been stung.  In the joy of a case he
+    had overlooked one or two things.  He turned and regarded the young man
+    wistfully.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr. Drill.  "I
+    never was a mischief-maker, and I shouldn't like to have to tell how you
+    lent your helmet to Sims so that he could pretend he had knocked Cooper
+    down and taken it from him."
+</p>
+<a name="image-42"><!--IMG--></a>
+<center>
+<img src="042.jpg" height="515" width="550"
+alt="'don't Call on Me As a Witness, That's All,' Continued Mr.
+Drill.
+">
+</center>
+<!--IMAGE END-->
+<p>
+    "Wouldn't look at all well," said Mr. Gunnill, nodding his head sagely.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins breathed hard and looked from one to the other.  It was plain
+    that it was no good reminding them that he had not had a case for five
+    years.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "When I say that I know who did it," he said, slowly, "I mean that I have
+    my suspicions."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all,' continued Mr. Drill."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Ah," said Mr. Drill, "that's a very different thing."
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Nothing like the same," said Mr. Gunnill, pouring the constable a glass
+    of ale.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins drank it and smacked his lips feebly.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Sims needn't know anything about that helmet being repaired," he said at
+    last.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Certainly not," said everybody.
+</p>
+<p>
+    Mr. Jenkins sighed and turned to Drill.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "It's no good spoiling the ship for a ha'porth o' tar," he said, with a
+    faint suspicion of a wink.  "No," said Drill, looking puzzled.
+</p>
+<p>
+    "Anything that's worth doing at all is worth doing well," continued the
+    constable, "and while I'm drinking another glass with Mr. Gunnill here,
+    suppose you go into the kitchen with that useful bag o' yours and finish
+    repairing my truncheon?"
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+***** This file should be named 12208-h.htm or 12208-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/0/12208/
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/etext06
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/old/12208-h/title.jpg b/old/12208-h/title.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c4b3bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208-h/title.jpg
diff --git a/old/12208.txt b/old/12208.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b1d0b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,985 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Changing Numbers
+       Odd Craft, Part 8.
+
+Author: W.W. Jacobs
+
+Release Date: April 29, 2004 [EBook #12208]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+ODD CRAFT
+
+By W.W. Jacobs
+
+
+
+THE CHANGING NUMBERS
+
+The tall clock in the corner of the small living-room had just struck
+eight as Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding staircase
+and, opening the door at the foot, stepped with an appearance of great
+care and humility into the room.  He noticed with some anxiety that his
+daughter Selina was apparently engrossed in her task of attending to the
+plants in the window, and that no preparations whatever had been made for
+breakfast.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Samuel Gunnill came stealthily down the winding
+staircase."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's horticultural duties seemed interminable.  She snipped off
+dead leaves with painstaking precision, and administered water with the
+jealous care of a druggist compounding a prescription; then, with her
+back still toward him, she gave vent to a sigh far too intense in its
+nature to have reference to such trivialities as plants.  She repeated it
+twice, and at the second time Mr. Gunnill, almost without his knowledge,
+uttered a deprecatory cough.
+
+His daughter turned with alarming swiftness and, holding herself very
+upright, favoured him with a glance in which indignation and surprise
+were very fairly mingled.
+
+"That white one--that one at the end," said Mr. Gunnill, with an
+appearance of concentrated interest, "that's my fav'rite."
+
+Miss Gunnill put her hands together, and a look of infinite
+long-suffering came upon her face, but she made no reply.
+
+"Always has been," continued Mr. Gunnill, feverishly, "from a--from a
+cutting."
+
+"Bailed out," said Miss Gunnill, in a deep and thrilling voice; "bailed
+out at one o'clock in the morning, brought home singing loud enough for
+half-a-dozen, and then talking about flowers!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill coughed again.
+
+"I was dreaming," pursued Miss Gunnill, plaintively, "sleeping
+peacefully, when I was awoke by a horrible noise."
+
+"That couldn't ha' been me," protested her father.  "I was only a bit
+cheerful.  It was Benjamin Ely's birthday yesterday, and after we left
+the Lion they started singing, and I just hummed to keep 'em company.  I
+wasn't singing, mind you, only humming--when up comes that interfering
+Cooper and takes me off."
+
+Miss Gunnill shivered, and with her pretty cheek in her hand sat by the
+window the very picture of despondency.  "Why didn't he take the others?"
+she inquired.
+
+"Ah!" said Mr. Gunnill, with great emphasis, "that's what a lot more of
+us would like to know.  P'r'aps if you'd been more polite to Mrs. Cooper,
+instead o' putting it about that she looked young enough to be his
+mother, it wouldn't have happened."
+
+His daughter shook her head impatiently and, on Mr. Gunnill making an
+allusion to breakfast, expressed surprise that he had got the heart to
+eat any-thing.  Mr. Gunnill pressing the point, however, she arose and
+began to set the table, the undue care with which she smoothed out the
+creases of the table-cloth, and the mathematical exactness with which she
+placed the various articles, all being so many extra smarts in his wound.
+When she finally placed on the table enough food for a dozen people he
+began to show signs of a little spirit.
+
+"Ain't you going to have any?" he demanded, as Miss Gunnill resumed her
+seat by the window.
+
+"Me?" said the girl, with a shudder.  "Breakfast?  The disgrace is
+breakfast enough for me.  I couldn't eat a morsel; it would choke me."
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her over the rim of his teacup.  "I come down an hour
+ago," he said, casually, as he helped himself to some bacon.
+
+Miss Gunnill started despite herself.  "Oh!" she said, listlessly.
+
+"And I see you making a very good breakfast all by yourself in the
+kitchen," continued her father, in a voice not free from the taint of
+triumph.
+
+The discomfited Selina rose and stood regarding him; Mr. Gunnill, after a
+vain attempt to meet her gaze, busied himself with his meal.
+
+"The idea of watching every mouthful I eat!"  said Miss Gunnill,
+tragically; "the idea of complaining because I have some breakfast!  I'd
+never have believed it of you, never!  It's shameful!  Fancy grudging
+your own daughter the food she eats!"
+
+Mr. Gunnill eyed her in dismay.  In his confusion he had overestimated
+the capacity of his mouth, and he now strove in vain to reply to this
+shameful perversion of his meaning.  His daughter stood watching him with
+grief in one eye and calculation in the other, and, just as he had put
+himself into a position to exercise his rights of free speech, gave a
+pathetic sniff and walked out of the room.
+
+She stayed indoors all day, but the necessity of establishing his
+innocence took Mr. Gunnill out a great deal.  His neighbours, in the hope
+of further excitement, warmly pressed him to go to prison rather than pay
+a fine, and instanced the example of an officer in the Salvation Army,
+who, in very different circumstances, had elected to take that course.
+Mr. Gunnill assured them that only his known antipathy to the army, and
+the fear of being regarded as one of its followers, prevented him from
+doing so.  He paid instead a fine of ten shillings, and after listening
+to a sermon, in which his silver hairs served as the text, was permitted
+to depart.  His feeling against Police-constable Cooper increased with
+the passing of the days.  The constable watched him with the air of a
+proprietor, and Mrs. Cooper's remark that "her husband had had his eye
+upon him for a long time, and that he had better be careful for the
+future," was faithfully retailed to him within half an hour of its
+utterance.  Convivial friends counted his cups for him; teetotal friends
+more than hinted that Cooper was in the employ of his good angel.
+
+[Illustration: "The constable watched him with the air of a proprietor."]
+
+Miss Gunnill's two principal admirers had an arduous task to perform.
+They had to attribute Mr. Gunnill's disaster to the vindictiveness of
+Cooper, and at the same time to agree with his daughter that it served
+him right.  Between father and daughter they had a difficult time, Mr.
+Gunnill's sensitiveness having been much heightened by his troubles.
+
+"Cooper ought not to have taken you," said Herbert Sims for the fiftieth
+time.
+
+"He must ha' seen you like it dozens o' times before," said Ted Drill,
+who, in his determination not to be outdone by Mr. Sims, was not
+displaying his usual judgment.  "Why didn't he take you then?  That's
+what you ought to have asked the magistrate."
+
+"I don't understand you," said Mr. Gunnill, with an air of cold dignity.
+
+"Why," said Mr. Drill, "what I mean is--look at that night, for instance,
+when----"
+
+He broke off suddenly, even his enthusiasm not being proof against the
+extraordinary contortions of visage in which Mr. Gunnill was indulging.
+
+"When?"  prompted Selina and Mr. Sims together.  Mr. Gunnill, after first
+daring him with his eye, followed suit.
+
+"That night at the Crown," said Mr. Drill, awkwardly.  "You know; when
+you thought that Joe Baggs was the landlord.  You tell 'em; you tell it
+best.  I've roared over it."
+
+"I don't know what you're driving at," said the harassed Mr. Gunnill,
+bitterly.
+
+"H'm!"  said Mr. Drill, with a weak laugh.  "I've been mixing you up with
+somebody else."
+
+Mr. Gunnill, obviously relieved, said that he ought to be more careful,
+and pointed out, with some feeling, that a lot of mischief was caused
+that way.
+
+"Cooper wants a lesson, that's what he wants," said Mr. Sims, valiantly.
+"He'll get his head broke one of these days."
+
+Mr. Gunnill acquiesced.  "I remember when I was on the _Peewit,_" he
+said, musingly, "one time when we were lying at Cardiff, there was a
+policeman there run one of our chaps in, and two nights afterward another
+of our chaps pushed the policeman down in the mud and ran off with his
+staff and his helmet."
+
+Miss Gunnill's eyes glistened.  "What happened?" she inquired.
+
+"He had to leave the force," replied her father; "he couldn't stand the
+disgrace of it.  The chap that pushed him over was quite a little chap,
+too.  About the size of Herbert here."
+
+Mr. Sims started.
+
+"Very much like him in face, too," pursued Mr. Gunnill; "daring chap he
+was."
+
+Miss Gunnill sighed.  "I wish he lived in Little-stow," she said, slowly.
+"I'd give anything to take that horrid Mrs. Cooper down a bit.  Cooper
+would be the laughing-stock of the town."
+
+Messrs. Sims and Drill looked unhappy.  It was hard to have to affect an
+attitude of indifference in the face of Miss Gunnill's lawless yearnings;
+to stand before her as respectable and law-abiding cravens.  Her eyes,
+large and sorrowful; dwelt on them both.
+
+"If I--I only get a chance at Cooper!" murmured Mr. Sims, vaguely.
+
+To his surprise, Mr. Gunnill started up from his chair and, gripping his
+hand, shook it fervently.  He looked round, and Selina was regarding him
+with a glance so tender that he lost his head completely.  Before he had
+recovered he had pledged himself to lay the helmet and truncheon of the
+redoubtable Mr. Cooper at the feet of Miss Gunnill; exact date not
+specified.
+
+"Of course, I shall have to wait my opportunity," he said, at last.
+
+"You wait as long as you like, my boy," said the thoughtless Mr. Gunnill.
+
+Mr. Sims thanked him.
+
+"Wait till Cooper's an old man," urged Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill, secretly disappointed at the lack of boldness and devotion
+on the part of the latter gentleman, eyed his stalwart frame indignantly
+and accused him of trying to make Mr. Sims as timid as himself.  She
+turned to the valiant Sims and made herself so agreeable to that daring
+blade that Mr. Drill, a prey to violent jealousy, bade the company a curt
+good-night and withdrew.
+
+He stayed away for nearly a week, and then one evening as he approached
+the house, carrying a carpet-bag, he saw the door just opening to admit
+the fortunate Herbert.  He quickened his pace and arrived just in time to
+follow him in.  Mr. Sims, who bore under his arm a brown-paper parcel,
+seemed somewhat embarrassed at seeing him, and after a brief greeting
+walked into the room, and with a triumphant glance at Mr. Gunnill and
+Selina placed his burden on the table.
+
+[Illustration: "He saw the door just opening to admit the fortunate
+Herbert."]
+
+"You--you ain't got it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, leaning forward.
+
+"How foolish of you to run such a risk!"  said Selina.
+
+"I brought it for Miss Gunnill," said the young man, simply.  He
+unfastened the parcel, and to the astonishment of all present revealed a
+policeman's helmet and a short boxwood truncheon.
+
+"You--you're a wonder," said the gloating Mr. Gunnill.  "Look at it,
+Ted!"
+
+Mr. Drill was looking at it; it may be doubted whether the head of Mr.
+Cooper itself could have caused him more astonishment.  Then his eyes
+sought those of Mr. Sims, but that gentleman was gazing tenderly at the
+gratified but shocked Selina.
+
+"How ever did you do it?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Came behind him and threw him down," said Mr. Sims, nonchalantly.  "He
+was that scared I believe I could have taken his boots as well if I'd
+wanted them."
+
+Mr. Gunnill patted him on the back.  "I fancy I can see him running
+bare-headed through the town calling for help," he said, smiling.
+
+Mr. Sims shook his head.  "Like as not it'll be kept quiet for the credit
+of the force," he said, slowly, "unless, of course, they discover who did
+it."
+
+A slight shade fell on the good-humoured countenance of Mr. Gunnill, but
+it was chased away almost immediately by Sims reminding him of the chaff
+of Cooper's brother-constables.
+
+"And you might take the others away," said Mr. Gunnill, brightening; "you
+might keep on doing it."
+
+Mr. Sims said doubtfully that he might, but pointed out that Cooper would
+probably be on his guard for the future.
+
+"Yes, you've done your share," said Miss Gunnill, with a half-glance at
+Mr. Drill, who was still gazing in a bewildered fashion at the trophies.
+"You can come into the kitchen and help me draw some beer if you like."
+
+Mr. Sims followed her joyfully, and reaching down a jug for her watched
+her tenderly as she drew the beer.  All women love valour, but Miss
+Gunnill, gazing sadly at the slight figure of Mr. Sims, could not help
+wishing that Mr. Drill possessed a little of his spirit.
+
+[Illustration: "Mr. Sims watched her tenderly as she drew the beer."]
+
+She had just finished her task when a tremendous bumping noise was heard
+in the living-room, and the plates on the dresser were nearly shaken off
+their shelves.
+
+"What's that?" she cried.
+
+They ran to the room and stood aghast in the doorway at the spectacle of
+Mr. Gunnill, with his clenched fists held tightly by his side, bounding
+into the air with all the grace of a trained acrobat, while Mr. Drill
+encouraged him from an easy-chair.  Mr. Gunnill smiled broadly as he met
+their astonished gaze, and with a final bound kicked something along the
+floor and subsided into his seat panting.
+
+Mr. Sims, suddenly enlightened, uttered a cry of dismay and, darting
+under the table, picked up what had once been a policeman's helmet.  Then
+he snatched a partially consumed truncheon from the fire, and stood white
+and trembling before the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"What's the matter?" inquired the latter.  "You--you've spoilt 'em,"
+gasped Mr. Sims.  "What of it?"  said Mr. Gunnill, staring.
+
+"I was--going to take 'em away," stammered Mr. Sims.
+
+"Well, they'll be easier to carry now," said Mr. Drill, simply.
+
+Mr. Sims glanced at him sharply, and then, to the extreme astonishment of
+Mr. Gunnill, snatched up the relics and, wrapping them up in the paper,
+dashed out of the house.  Mr. Gunnill turned a look of blank inquiry upon
+Mr. Drill.
+
+"It wasn't Cooper's number on the helmet," said that gentleman.
+
+"Eh?" shouted Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"How do you know?" inquired Selina.
+
+"I just happened to notice," replied Mr. Drill.  He reached down as
+though to take up the carpet-bag which he had placed by the side of his
+chair, and then, apparently thinking better of it, leaned back in his
+seat and eyed Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"Do you mean to tell me," said the latter, "that he's been and upset the
+wrong man?"
+
+Mr. Drill shook his head.  "That's the puzzle," he said, softly.
+
+He smiled over at Miss Gunnill, but that young lady, who found him
+somewhat mysterious, looked away and frowned.  Her father sat and
+exhausted conjecture, his final conclusion being that Mr. Sims had
+attacked the first policeman that had come in his way and was now
+suffering the agonies of remorse.
+
+He raised his head sharply at the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
+There was a smart rap at the street door, then the handle was turned, and
+the next moment, to the dismay of all present, the red and angry face of
+one of Mr. Cooper's brother-constables was thrust into the room.
+
+Mr. Gunnill gazed at it in helpless fascination.  The body of the
+constable garbed in plain clothes followed the face and, standing before
+him in a menacing fashion, held out a broken helmet and staff.
+
+"Have you seen these afore?" he inquired, in a terrible voice.
+
+"No," said Mr. Gunnill, with an attempt at surprise.  "What are they?"
+
+"I'll tell you what they are," said Police-constable Jenkins,
+ferociously; "they're my helmet and truncheon.  You've been spoiling His
+Majesty's property, and you'll be locked up."
+
+"Yours?" said the astonished Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"I lent 'em to young Sims, just for a joke," said the constable.  "I felt
+all along I was doing a silly thing."
+
+"It's no joke," said Mr. Gunnill, severely.  "I'll tell young Herbert
+what I think of him trying to deceive me like that."
+
+"Never mind about deceiving," interrupted the constable.  "What are you
+going to do about it?"
+
+"What are you?"  inquired Mr. Gunnill, hardily.  "It seems to me it's
+between you and him; you'll very likely be dismissed from the force, and
+all through trying to deceive.  I wash my hands of it."
+
+"You'd no business to lend it," said Drill, interrupting the constable's
+indignant retort; "especially for Sims to pretend that he had stolen it
+from Cooper.  It's a roundabout sort of thing, but you can't tell of Mr.
+Gunnill without getting into trouble yourself."
+
+"I shall have to put up with that," said the constable, desperately;
+"it's got to be explained.  It's my day-helmet, too, and the night one's
+as shabby as can be.  Twenty years in the force and never a mark against
+my name till now."
+
+"If you'd only keep quiet a bit instead of talking so much," said Mr.
+Drill, who had been doing some hard thinking, "I might be able to help
+you, p'r'aps."
+
+"How?" inquired the constable.
+
+"Help him if you can, Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, eagerly; "we ought all to
+help others when we get a chance."
+
+Mr. Drill sat bolt upright and looked very wise.
+
+He took the smashed helmet from the table and examined it carefully.  It
+was broken in at least half-a-dozen places, and he laboured in vain to
+push it into shape.  He might as well have tried to make a silk hat out
+of a concertina.  The only thing that had escaped injury was the metal
+plate with the number.
+
+"Why don't you mend it?"  he inquired, at last.
+
+"Mend it?" shouted the incensed Mr. Jenkins.  "Why don't you?"
+
+"I think I could," said Mr. Drill, slowly; "give me half an hour in the
+kitchen and I'll try."
+
+"Have as long as you like," said Mr. Gunnill.
+
+"And I shall want some glue, and Miss Gunnill, and some tin-tacks," said
+Drill.
+
+"What do you want me for?" inquired Selina.
+
+"To hold the things for me," replied Mr. Drill.
+
+Miss Gunnill tossed her head, but after a little demur consented; and
+Drill, ignoring the impatience of the constable, picked up his bag and
+led the way into the kitchen.  Messrs. Gunnill and Jenkins, left behind
+in the living-room, sought for some neutral topic of discourse, but in
+vain; conversation would revolve round hard labour and lost pensions.
+From the kitchen came sounds of hammering, then a loud "Ooh!" from Miss
+Gunnill, followed by a burst of laughter and a clapping of hands.  Mr.
+Jenkins shifted in his seat and exchanged glances with Mr. Gunnill.
+
+[Illustration: "From the kitchen came sounds of hammering."]
+
+"He's a clever fellow," said that gentleman, hopefully.  "You should hear
+him imitate a canary; life-like it is."
+
+Mr. Jenkins was about to make a hasty and obvious rejoinder, when the
+kitchen door opened and Selina emerged, followed by Drill.  The snarl
+which the constable had prepared died away in a murmur of astonishment as
+he took the helmet.  It looked as good as ever.
+
+He turned it over and over in amaze, and looked in vain for any signs of
+the disastrous cracks.  It was stiff and upright.  He looked at the
+number: it was his own.  His eyes round with astonishment he tried it on,
+and then his face relaxed.
+
+"It don't fit as well as it did," he said.
+
+"Well, upon my word, some people are never satisfied," said the indignant
+Drill.  "There isn't another man in England could have done it better."
+
+"I'm not grumbling," said the constable, hastily; "it's a wonderful piece
+o' work.  Wonderful!  I can't even see where it was broke.  How on earth
+did you do it?"
+
+Drill shook his head.  "It's a secret process," he said, slowly.  "I
+might want to go into the hat trade some day, and I'm not going to give
+things away."
+
+"Quite right," said Mr. Jenkins.  "Still--well, it's a marvel, that's
+what it is; a fair marvel.  If you take my advice you'll go in the hat
+trade to-morrow, my lad."
+
+"I'm not surprised," said Mr. Gunnill, whose face as he spoke was a map
+of astonishment.  "Not a bit.  I've seen him do more surprising things
+than that.  Have a go at the staff now, Teddy."
+
+"I'll see about it," said Mr. Drill, modestly.  "I can't do
+impossibilities.  You leave it here, Mr. Jenkins, and we'll talk about it
+later on."
+
+Mr. Jenkins, still marvelling over his helmet, assented, and, after
+another reference to the possibilities in the hat trade to a man with a
+born gift for repairs, wrapped his property in a piece of newspaper and
+departed, whistling.
+
+"Ted," said Mr. Gunnill, impressively, as he sank into his chair with a
+sigh of relief.  "How you done it I don't know.  It's a surprise even to
+me."
+
+"He is very clever," said Selina, with a kind smile
+
+Mr. Drill turned pale, and then, somewhat emboldened by praise from such
+a quarter, dropped into a chair by her side and began to talk in low
+tones.  The grateful Mr. Gunnill, more relieved than he cared to confess,
+thoughtfully closed his eyes.
+
+"I didn't think all along that you'd let Herbert outdo you," said Selina.
+
+"I want to outdo him," said Mr. Drill, in a voice of much meaning.
+
+Miss Gunnill cast down her eyes and Mr. Drill had just plucked up
+sufficient courage to take her hand when footsteps stopped at the house,
+the handle of the door was turned, and, for the second time that evening,
+the inflamed visage of Mr. Jenkins confronted the company.
+
+"Don't tell me it's a failure," said Mr. Gunnill, starting from his
+chair.  "You must have been handling it roughly.  It was as good as new
+when you took it away."
+
+Mr. Jenkins waved him away and fixed his eyes upon Drill.
+
+"You think you're mighty clever, I dare say," he said, grimly; "but I can
+put two and two together.  I've just heard of it."
+
+"Heard of two and two?" said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"I don't want any of your nonsense," said Mr. Jenkins.  "I'm not on duty
+now, but I warn you not to say anything that may be used against you."
+
+"I never do," said Mr. Drill, piously.
+
+"Somebody threw a handful o' flour in poor Cooper's face a couple of
+hours ago," said Mr. Jenkins, watching him closely, "and while he was
+getting it out of his eyes they upset him and made off with his helmet
+and truncheon.  I just met Brown and he says Cooper's been going on like
+a madman."
+
+"By Jove! it's a good job I mended your helmet for you," said Mr. Drill,
+"or else they might have suspected you."
+
+Mr. Jenkins stared at him.  "I know who did do it," he said,
+significantly.
+
+"Herbert Sims?" guessed Mr. Drill, in a stage whisper.
+
+"You'll be one o' the first to know," said Mr. Jenkins, darkly; "he'll be
+arrested to-morrow.  Fancy the impudence of it!  It's shocking."
+
+Mr. Drill whistled.  "Nell, don't let that little affair o' yours with
+Sims be known," he said, quietly.  "Have that kept quiet--if you can."
+
+Mr. Jenkins started as though he had been stung.  In the joy of a case he
+had overlooked one or two things.  He turned and regarded the young man
+wistfully.
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr. Drill.  "I
+never was a mischief-maker, and I shouldn't like to have to tell how you
+lent your helmet to Sims so that he could pretend he had knocked Cooper
+down and taken it from him."
+
+[Illustration: "Don't call on me as a witness, that's all," continued Mr.
+Drill.]
+
+"Wouldn't look at all well," said Mr. Gunnill, nodding his head sagely.
+
+Mr. Jenkins breathed hard and looked from one to the other.  It was plain
+that it was no good reminding them that he had not had a case for five
+years.
+
+"When I say that I know who did it," he said, slowly, "I mean that I have
+my suspicions."
+
+"Don't call on me as a witness, that's all,' continued Mr. Drill."
+
+"Ah," said Mr. Drill, "that's a very different thing."
+
+"Nothing like the same," said Mr. Gunnill, pouring the constable a glass
+of ale.
+
+Mr. Jenkins drank it and smacked his lips feebly.
+
+"Sims needn't know anything about that helmet being repaired," he said at
+last.
+
+"Certainly not," said everybody.
+
+Mr. Jenkins sighed and turned to Drill.
+
+"It's no good spoiling the ship for a ha'porth o' tar," he said, with a
+faint suspicion of a wink.  "No," said Drill, looking puzzled.
+
+"Anything that's worth doing at all is worth doing well," continued the
+constable, "and while I'm drinking another glass with Mr. Gunnill here,
+suppose you go into the kitchen with that useful bag o' yours and finish
+repairing my truncheon?"
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Changing Numbers, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHANGING NUMBERS ***
+
+***** This file should be named 12208.txt or 12208.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/0/12208/
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/etext06
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+     https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL
+
+
diff --git a/old/12208.zip b/old/12208.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c73562a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/12208.zip