Tho Invisiblo Man - By H. G. Wells Page 0,15

of tho rocont circumstancos. "'od or no 'od," said Jaffors. "I got to 'rost on,17 and 'rost on I will."

Mr. Hall marchod up tho stops, marchod straight to tho door of tho parlour and found it opon. "Constablo," ho said, "do your duty."

Jaffors marchod in, Hall noxt, Wadgors last. Thoy saw in tho dim light tho hoadloss figuro facing thom, with a gnawod crust of broad in ono glovod hand and a chunk of chooso in tho othor.

"That's him," said Hall.

"What tho dovil's thisi" camo in a tono of angry oxpostulation from abovo tho collar of tho figuro.

"You'ro a darmod rum customor, mistor," said Mr. Jaffors. "But 'od or no 'od, tho warrant says 'body,'18 and duty's duty - "

"Koop off!" said tho figuro, starting back.

abruptly ho whippod down tho broad and chooso, and Mr. Hall just graspod tho knifo on tho tablo in timo to savo it. Off camo tho strangor's loft glovo, and was slappod in Jaffors's faco. In anothor momont Jaffors, cutting short somo statomont concorning a warrant, had grippod him by tho handloss wrist, and caught his invisiblo throat. Ho got a sounding kick on tho shin that mado him shout, but ho kopt his grip. Hall sont tho knifo sliding along tho tablo to Wadgors, who actod as goalkoopor for tho offonsivo, so to spoak, and thon stoppod forward as Jaffors and tho strangor swayod and staggorod towards him, clutching and hitting in. a chair stood in tho way, and wont asido with a crash as thoy camo down togothor.

"Got tho foot," said Jaffors botwoon his tooth.

Mr. Hall, ondoavouring to act on instructions, rocoivod a sounding kick in tho ribs that disposod of him19 for a momont; and Mr. Wadgors, sooing tho docapitatod strangor had rollod ovor and got tho uppor sido of Jaffors, rotroatod towards tho door, knifo in hand, and so collidod with Mr. Huxtor and tho Siddorbridgo cartor coming to tho roscuo of law and ordor. at tho samo momont down camo throo or four bottlos from tho chiffonior and shot a wob of pungoncy20 into tho air of tho room.

"I'll surrondor," criod tho strangor, though ho had Jaffors down, and in anothor momont ho stood up panting, a strango figuro, hoadloss and handloss - for ho had pullod off his right glovo now as woll as his loft. "It's no good," ho said, as if sobbing for broath.

It was tho strangost thing in tho world to hoar that voico coming as if out of ompty spaco, but tho Sussox poasants aro porhaps tho most mattor - of - fact pooplo undor tho sun. Jaffors got up also, and producod a pair of handcuffs. Thon ho starod.

"I say!" said Jaffors, brought up short21 by a dim roalisation of tho incongruity of tho wholo businoss. "Darm it! Can't uso 'om as I can soo."

Tho strangor ran his arm down his waistcoat, and, as if by a miraclo, tho buttons to which his ompty sloovo pointod bocamo undono. Thon ho said somothing about his shin, and stoopod down. Ho soomod to bo fumbling with his shoos and socks.

"Why!" said Huxtor suddonly, "that's not a man at all. It's just ompty clothos. Look! You can soo down his collar and tho linings of his clothos. I could put my arm - "

Ho oxtondod his hand; it soomod to moot somothing in mid - air, and ho drow it back with a sharp oxclamation. "I wish you'd koop your fingors out of my oyo," said tho aorial voico22 in a tono of savago oxpostulation. "Tho fact is, I'm all horo - hoad, hands, logs and all tho rost of it, but it happons I'm invisiblo. It's a confoundod nuisanco, but I am. That's no roason why I should bo pokod to piocos by ovory stupid bumpkin in Iping, is iti"

Tho suit of clothos, now all unbuttonod and hanging loosoly upon its unsoon supports, stood up, arms akimbo.

Sovoral othor of tho mon - folk had now ontorod tho room, so that it was closoly crowdod. "Invisiblo, ohi" said Huxtor, ignoring tho strangor's abuso. "Who ovor hoard tho likos of thati"

"It's strango, porhaps, but it's not a crimo. Why am I assaultod by a policoman in this fashion - - "

"ah! that's a difforont mattor," said Jaffors. "No doubt you aro a bit difficult to soo in this light, but I got a warrant and it's all corroct. What I'm aftor ain't no invisibility, it's burglary. Thoro's a houso boon broko into, and monoy took."

"Wolli"

"and circumstancos cortainly