| The Return Match | |
| Author: | E. W. Hornung |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | A. J. Raffles |
| Publisher: | Cassell & Co |
| Release Date: | October 1898 |
| Media Type: | Print (Magazine) |
| Preceded By: | Nine Points of the Law |
| Followed By: | The Gift of the Emperor |
"The Return Match" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in October 1898 by Cassell's Magazine.[1] The story was also included as the seventh story in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.[2]
Raffles brings Bunny to his Albany rooms. Raffles says the famous thief whom Raffles outsmarted during the affair of Lady Melrose's necklace, named Crawshay, was imprisoned at Dartmoor but escaped yesterday. Raffles suspects that Crawshay is coming after him, to seek revenge against Raffles. Suddenly, Crawshay enters the room.
Crawshay smoothly tells Raffles that Raffles must find a way to get Crawshay out of the country. Raffles acknowledges to Bunny that Crawshay is blackmailing them, but is genuinely excited to help the daring prison escapee get away. Raffles and Bunny leave, as Crawshay falls asleep.
In the courtyard, they pass Inspector Mackenzie of Scotland Yard. Despite Bunny's reservations, Raffles greets the inspector. They briefly discuss Crawshay. The inspector continues into the Albany, and Raffles and Bunny follow him.
Upon questioning by Raffles, a porter explains that police have come because a man of Crawshay's description was seen in the Albany earlier. Raffles leads Bunny into the set of rooms where several officers are investigating, Mackenzie among them. Mackenzie accepts Raffles's offer to help the police; Raffles is even glad to leave the key to his room with the police, amazing Bunny. Raffles departs, ostensibly to dinner, while Bunny remains with Mackenzie. Bunny observes Raffles's departure through the window.
While Bunny and Mackenzie are in the attic, a rope is found hanging over Raffles's window. This causes Mackenzie to begin searching Raffles's rooms. Inside, they find Raffles himself, lying on the floor on his back, and wounded by a poker in the forehead. The Raffles who departed was actually Crawshay in disguise. Bunny is tearful.
Later, Raffles reveals to Bunny that he intentionally struck himself. The day has been a success: they have won some credit with Mackenzie, and are even with Crawshay.
The story was adapted into the pilot of the Raffles television series, with Anthony Valentine as A. J. Raffles and Christopher Strauli as Bunny Manders. The episode, titled "The Amateur Cracksman", first aired on 10 September 1975.
BBC Radio adapted part of the story into the second half of the fifth episode of its Raffles radio series, "Wilful Murder or the Return Match", which first aired on 17 November 1985.[3] The drama features Jeremy Clyde as Raffles and Michael Cochrane as Bunny. The first part of the episode is based on the events of "Wilful Murder", which then leads into the plot of "The Return Match." The episode follows much of the original plot, with some differences:
An adaptation of "The Return Match" aired in 2010 as part of Raffles, the Gentleman Thief, a series on the American radio show Imagination Theatre.[4]