.It
was
a
wonderful
starry
night
,
and
I
had
not
much
difficulty
about
the
road
.
Sir
Harry
's
map
had
given
me
the
lie
of
the
land
,
and
all
I
had
to
do
was
to
steer
a
point
or
two
west
of
south-west
to
come
to
the
stream
where
I
had
met
the
roadman
.
In
all
these
travels
I
never
knew
the
names
of
the
places
,
but
I
believe
this
stream
was
no
less
than
the
upper
waters
of
the
river
Tweed
.
I
calculated
I
must
be
about
eighteen
miles
distant
,
and
that
meant
I
could
not
get
there
before
morning
.
So
I
must
lie
up
a
day
somewhere
,
for
I
was
too
outrageous
a
figure
to
be
seen
in
the
sunlight
.
I
had
neither
coat
,
waistcoat
,
collar
,
nor
hat
,
my
trousers
were
badly
torn
,
and
my
face
and
hands
were
black
with
the
explosion
.
I
daresay
I
had
other
beauties
,
for
my
eyes
felt
as
if
they
were
furiously
bloodshot
.
Altogether
I
was
no
spectacle
for
God-fearing
citizens
to
see
on
a
highroad
.
Very
soon
after
daybreak
I
made
an
attempt
to
clean
myself
in
a
hill
burn
,
and
then
approached
a
herd
's
cottage
,
for
I
was
feeling
the
need
of
food
.
The
herd
was
away
from
home
,
and
his
wife
was
alone
,
with
no
neighbour
for
five
miles
.
She
was
a
decent
old
body
,
and
a
plucky
one
,
for
though
she
got
a
fright
when
she
saw
me
,
she
had
an
axe
handy
,
and
would
have
used
it
on
any
evil-doer
.
I
told
her
that
I
had
had
a
fall-I
did
n't
say
how-and
she
saw
by
my
looks
that
I
was
pretty
sick
.
Like
a
true
Samaritan
she
asked
no
questions
,
but
gave
me
a
bowl
of
milk
with
a
dash
of
whisky
in
it
,
and
let
me
sit
for
a
little
by
her
kitchen
fire
.
She
would
have
bathed
my
shoulder
,
but
it
ached
so
badly
that
I
would
not
let
her
touch
it
.
I
do
n't
know
what
she
took
me
for-a
repentant
burglar
,
perhaps
;
for
when
I
wanted
to
pay
her
for
the
milk
and
tendered
a
sovereign
which
was
the
smallest
coin
I
had
,
she
shook
her
head
and
said
something
about
'
giving
it
to
them
that
had
a
right
to
it
'
.
At
this
I
protested
so
strongly
that
I
think
she
believed
me
honest
,
for
she
took
the
money
and
gave
me
a
warm
new
plaid
for
it
,
and
an
old
hat
of
her
man
's
.
She
showed
me
how
to
wrap
the
plaid
around
my
shoulders
,
and
when
I
left
that
cottage
I
was
the
living
image
of
the
kind
of
Scotsman
you
see
in
the
illustrations
to
Burns
's
poems
.
But
at
any
rate
I
was
more
or
less
clad
.
It
was
as
well
,
for
the
weather
changed
before
midday
to
a
thick
drizzle
of
rain
.
I
found
shelter
below
an
overhanging
rock
in
the
crook
of
a
burn
,
where
a
drift
of
dead
brackens
made
a
tolerable
bed
.
There
I
managed
to
sleep
till
nightfall
,
waking
very
cramped
and
wretched
,
with
my
shoulder
gnawing
like
a
toothache
.
I
ate
the
oatcake
and
cheese
the
old
wife
had
given
me
and
set
out
again
just
before
the
darkening
.
I
pass
over
the
miseries
of
that
night
among
the
wet
hills
.
There
were
no
stars
to
steer
by
,
and
I
had
to
do
the
best
I
could
from
my
memory
of
the
map
.
Twice
I
lost
my
way
,
and
I
had
some
nasty
falls
into
peat-bogs
.
I
had
only
about
ten
miles
to
go
as
the
crow
flies
,
but
my
mistakes
made
it
nearer
twenty
.
The
last
bit
was
completed
with
set
teeth
and
a
very
light
and
dizzy
head
.
But
I
managed
it
,
and
in
the
early
dawn
I
was
knocking
at
Mr
Turnbull
's
door
.
The
mist
lay
close
and
thick
,
and
from
the
cottage
I
could
not
see
the
highroad
.
Mr
Turnbull
himself
opened
to
me-sober
and
something
more
than
sober
.
He
was
primly
dressed
in
an
ancient
but
well-tended
suit
of
black
;
he
had
been
shaved
not
later
than
the
night
before
;
he
wore
a
linen
collar
;
and
in
his
left
hand
he
carried
a
pocket
Bible
.
At
first
he
did
not
recognize
me
.
'
Whae
are
ye
that
comes
stravaigin
'
here
on
the
Sabbath
mornin
'
?
'
he
asked
.
I
had
lost
all
count
of
the
days
.
So
the
Sabbath
was
the
reason
for
this
strange
decorum
.
My
head
was
swimming
so
wildly
that
I
could
not
frame
a
coherent
answer
.
But
he
recognized
me
,
and
he
saw
that
I
was
ill.
'
Hae
ye
got
my
specs
?
'
he
asked
.
I
fetched
them
out
of
my
trouser
pocket
and
gave
him
them
.
'
Ye
'll
hae
come
for
your
jaicket
and
westcoat
,
'
he
said
.
'
Come
in-bye
.
Losh
,
man
,
ye
're
terrible
dune
i
'
the
legs
.
Haud
up
till
I
get
ye
to
a
chair
.
'
I
perceived
I
was
in
for
a
bout
of
malaria
.
I
had
a
good
deal
of
fever
in
my
bones
,
and
the
wet
night
had
brought
it
out
,
while
my
shoulder
and
the
effects
of
the
fumes
combined
to
make
me
feel
pretty
bad
.
Before
I
knew
,
Mr
Turnbull
was
helping
me
off
with
my
clothes
,
and
putting
me
to
bed
in
one
of
the
two
cupboards
that
lined
the
kitchen
walls
.
He
was
a
true
friend
in
need
,
that
old
roadman
.
His
wife
was
dead
years
ago
,
and
since
his
daughter
's
marriage
he
lived
alone
.
For
the
better
part
of
ten
days
he
did
all
the
rough
nursing
I
needed
.
I
simply
wanted
to
be
left
in
peace
while
the
fever
took
its
course
,
and
when
my
skin
was
cool
again
I
found
that
the
bout
had
more
or
less
cured
my
shoulder
.
But
it
was
a
baddish
go
,
and
though
I
was
out
of
bed
in
five
days
,
it
took
me
some
time
to
get
my
legs
again
.
He
went
out
each
morning
,
leaving
me
milk
for
the
day
,
and
locking
the
door
behind
him
;
and
came
in
in
the
evening
to
sit
silent
in
the
chimney
corner
.
Not
a
soul
came
near
the
place
.
When
I
was
getting
better
,
he
never
bothered
me
with
a
question
.
Several
times
he
fetched
me
a
two
days
'
old
Scotsman
,
and
I
noticed
that
the
interest
in
the
Portland
Place
murder
seemed
to
have
died
down
.
There
was
no
mention
of
it
,
and
I
could
find
very
little
about
anything
except
a
thing
called
the
General
Assembly-some
ecclesiastical
spree
,
I
gathered
.
One
day
he
produced
my
belt
from
a
lockfast
drawer
.
'
There
's
a
terrible
heap
o
'
siller
i
n't
,
'
he
said
.
'
Ye
'd
better
coont
it
to
see
it
's
a
'
there
.
'
He
never
even
sought
my
name
.
I
asked
him
if
anybody
had
been
around
making
inquiries
subsequent
to
my
spell
at
the
road-making
.
'
Ay
,
there
was
a
man
in
a
motor-cawr
.
He
speired
whae
had
ta'en
my
place
that
day
,
and
I
let
on
I
thocht
him
daft
.
But
he
keepit
on
at
me
,
and
syne
I
said
he
maun
be
thinkin
'
o
'
my
gude-brither
frae
the
Cleuch
that
whiles
lent
me
a
haun
'
.
He
was
a
wersh-lookin
'
sowl
,
and
I
couldna
understand
the
half
o
'
his
English
tongue
.
'
I
was
getting
restless
those
last
days
,
and
as
soon
as
I
felt
myself
fit
I
decided
to
be
off
.
That
was
not
till
the
twelfth
day
of
June
,
and
as
luck
would
have
it
a
drover
went
past
that
morning
taking
some
cattle
to
Moffat
.
He
was
a
man
named
Hislop
,
a
friend
of
Turnbull
's
,
and
he
came
in
to
his
breakfast
with
us
and
offered
to
take
me
with
him
.
I
made
Turnbull
accept
five
pounds
for
my
lodging
,
and
a
hard
job
I
had
of
it
.
There
never
was
a
more
independent
being
.
He
grew
positively
rude
when
I
pressed
him
,
and
shy
and
red
,
and
took
the
money
at
last
without
a
thank
you
.
When
I
told
him
how
much
I
owed
him
,
he
grunted
something
about
'
ae
guid
turn
deservin
'
anither
'
.
You
would
have
thought
from
our
leave-taking
that
we
had
parted
in
disgust
.
Hislop
was
a
cheery
soul
,
who
chattered
all
the
way
over
the
pass
and
down
the
sunny
vale
of
Annan
.
I
talked
of
Galloway
markets
and
sheep
prices
,
and
he
made
up
his
mind
I
was
a
'
pack-shepherd
'
from
those
parts-whatever
that
may
be
.
My
plaid
and
my
old
hat
,
as
I
have
said
,
gave
me
a
fine
theatrical
Scots
look
.
But
driving
cattle
is
a
mortally
slow
job
,
and
we
took
the
better
part
of
the
day
to
cover
a
dozen
miles
.
If
I
had
not
had
such
an
anxious
heart
I
would
have
enjoyed
that
time
.
It
was
shining
blue
weather
,
with
a
constantly
changing
prospect
of
brown
hills
and
far
green
meadows
,
and
a
continual
sound
of
larks
and
curlews
and
falling
streams
.
But
I
had
no
mind
for
the
summer
,
and
little
for
Hislop
's
conversation
,
for
as
the
fateful
fifteenth
of
June
drew
near
I
was
overweighed
with
the
hopeless
difficulties
of
my
enterprise
.
I
got
some
dinner
in
a
humble
Moffat
public-house
,
and
walked
the
two
miles
to
the
junction
on
the
main
line
.
The
night
express
for
the
south
was
not
due
till
near
midnight
,
and
to
fill
up
the
time
I
went
up
on
the
hillside
and
fell
asleep
,
for
the
walk
had
tired
me
.
I
all
but
slept
too
long
,
and
had
to
run
to
the
station
and
catch
the
train
with
two
minutes
to
spare
.
The
feel
of
the
hard
third-class
cushions
and
the
smell
of
stale
tobacco
cheered
me
up
wonderfully
.
At
any
rate
,
I
felt
now
that
I
was
getting
to
grips
with
my
job
.
I
was
decanted
at
Crewe
in
the
small
hours
and
had
to
wait
till
six
to
get
a
train
for
Birmingham
.
In
the
afternoon
I
got
to
Reading
,
and
changed
into
a
local
train
which
journeyed
into
the
deeps
of
Berkshire
.
Presently
I
was
in
a
land
of
lush
water-meadows
and
slow
reedy
streams
.
About
eight
o'clock
in
the
evening
,
a
weary
and
travel-stained
being-a
cross
between
a
farm-labourer
and
a
vet-with
a
checked
black-and-white
plaid
over
his
arm
(
for
I
did
not
dare
to
wear
it
south
of
the
Border
)
,
descended
at
the
little
station
of
Artinswell
.
There
were
several
people
on
the
platform
,
and
I
thought
I
had
better
wait
to
ask
my
way
till
I
was
clear
of
the
place
.
The
road
led
through
a
wood
of
great
beeches
and
then
into
a
shallow
valley
,
with
the
green
backs
of
downs
peeping
over
the
distant
trees
.
After
Scotland
the
air
smelt
heavy
and
flat
,
but
infinitely
sweet
,
for
the
limes
and
chestnuts
and
lilac
bushes
were
domes
of
blossom
.
Presently
I
came
to
a
bridge
,
below
which
a
clear
slow
stream
flowed
between
snowy
beds
of
water-buttercups
.
A
little
above
it
was
a
mill
;
and
the
lasher
made
a
pleasant
cool
sound
in
the
scented
dusk
.
Somehow
the
place
soothed
me
and
put
me
at
my
ease
.
I
fell
to
whistling
as
I
looked
into
the
green
depths
,
and
the
tune
which
came
to
my
lips
was
'
Annie
Laurie
'
.
A
fisherman
came
up
from
the
waterside
,
and
as
he
neared
me
he
too
began
to
whistle
.
The
tune
was
infectious
,
for
he
followed
my
suit
.
He
was
a
huge
man
in
untidy
old
flannels
and
a
wide-brimmed
hat
,
with
a
canvas
bag
slung
on
his
shoulder
.
He
nodded
to
me
,
and
I
thought
I
had
never
seen
a
shrewder
or
better-tempered
face
.
He
leaned
his
delicate
ten-foot
split-cane
rod
against
the
bridge
,
and
looked
with
me
at
the
water
.
'
Clear
,
is
n't
it
?
'
he
said
pleasantly
.
'
I
back
our
Kenner
any
day
against
the
Test
.
Look
at
that
big
fellow
.
Four
pounds
if
he
's
an
ounce
.
But
the
evening
rise
is
over
and
you
ca
n't
tempt
'
em
.
'
'
I
do
n't
see
him
,
'
said
I
.
'
Look
!
There
!
A
yard
from
the
reeds
just
above
that
stickle
.
'
'
I
've
got
him
now
.
You
might
swear
he
was
a
black
stone
.
'
'
So
,
'
he
said
,
and
whistled
another
bar
of
'
Annie
Laurie
'
.
'
Twisdon
's
the
name
,
is
n't
it
?
'
he
said
over
his
shoulder
,
his
eyes
still
fixed
on
the
stream
.
'
No
,
'
I
said
.
'
I
mean
to
say
,
Yes
.
'
I
had
forgotten
all
about
my
alias
.
'
It
's
a
wise
conspirator
that
knows
his
own
name
,
'
he
observed
,
grinning
broadly
at
a
moor-hen
that
emerged
from
the
bridge
's
shadow
.
I
stood
up
and
looked
at
him
,
at
the
square
,
cleft
jaw
and
broad
,
lined
brow
and
the
firm
folds
of
cheek
,
and
began
to
think
that
here
at
last
was
an
ally
worth
having
.
His
whimsical
blue
eyes
seemed
to
go
very
deep
.
Suddenly
he
frowned
.
'
I
call
it
disgraceful
,
'
he
said
,
raising
his
voice
.
'
Disgraceful
that
an
able-bodied
man
like
you
should
dare
to
beg
.
You
can
get
a
meal
from
my
kitchen
,
but
you
'll
get
no
money
from
me
.
'
A
dog-cart
was
passing
,
driven
by
a
young
man
who
raised
his
whip
to
salute
the
fisherman
.
When
he
had
gone
,
he
picked
up
his
rod
.
'
That
's
my
house
,
'
he
said
,
pointing
to
a
white
gate
a
hundred
yards
on
.
'
Wait
five
minutes
and
then
go
round
to
the
back
door
.
'
And
with
that
he
left
me
.
I
did
as
I
was
bidden
.
I
found
a
pretty
cottage
with
a
lawn
running
down
to
the
stream
,
and
a
perfect
jungle
of
guelder-rose
and
lilac
flanking
the
path
.
The
back
door
stood
open
,
and
a
grave
butler
was
awaiting
me
.
'
Come
this
way
,
Sir
,
'
he
said
,
and
he
led
me
along
a
passage
and
up
a
back
staircase
to
a
pleasant
bedroom
looking
towards
the
river
.
There
I
found
a
complete
outfit
laid
out
for
me-dress
clothes
with
all
the
fixings
,
a
brown
flannel
suit
,
shirts
,
collars
,
ties
,
shaving
things
and
hair-brushes
,
even
a
pair
of
patent
shoes
.
'
Sir
Walter
thought
as
how
Mr
Reggie
's
things
would
fit
you
,
Sir
,
'
said
the
butler
.
'
He
keeps
some
clothes
'
ere
,
for
he
comes
regular
on
the
week-ends
.
There
's
a
bathroom
next
door
,
and
I
've
prepared
a
'
ot
bath
.
Dinner
in
'
alf
an
hour
,
Sir
.
You
'll
'
ear
the
gong
.
'
The
grave
being
withdrew
,
and
I
sat
down
in
a
chintz-covered
easy-chair
and
gaped
.
It
was
like
a
pantomime
,
to
come
suddenly
out
of
beggardom
into
this
orderly
comfort
.
Obviously
Sir
Walter
believed
in
me
,
though
why
he
did
I
could
not
guess
.
I
looked
at
myself
in
the
mirror
and
saw
a
wild
,
haggard
brown
fellow
,
with
a
fortnight
's
ragged
beard
,
and
dust
in
ears
and
eyes
,
collarless
,
vulgarly
shirted
,
with
shapeless
old
tweed
clothes
and
boots
that
had
not
been
cleaned
for
the
better
part
of
a
month
.
I
made
a
fine
tramp
and
a
fair
drover
;
and
here
I
was
ushered
by
a
prim
butler
into
this
temple
of
gracious
ease
.
And
the
best
of
it
was
that
they
did
not
even
know
my
name
.
I
resolved
not
to
puzzle
my
head
but
to
take
the
gifts
the
gods
had
provided
.
I
shaved
and
bathed
luxuriously
,
and
got
into
the
dress
clothes
and
clean
crackling
shirt
,
which
fitted
me
not
so
badly
.
By
the
time
I
had
finished
the
looking-glass
showed
a
not
unpersonable
young
man
.
Sir
Walter
awaited
me
in
a
dusky
dining-room
where
a
little
round
table
was
lit
with
silver
candles
.
The
sight
of
him-so
respectable
and
established
and
secure
,
the
embodiment
of
law
and
government
and
all
the
conventions-took
me
aback
and
made
me
feel
an
interloper
.
He
could
n't
know
the
truth
about
me
,
or
he
would
n't
treat
me
like
this
.
I
simply
could
not
accept
his
hospitality
on
false
pretences
.
'
I
'm
more
obliged
to
you
than
I
can
say
,
but
I
'm
bound
to
make
things
clear
,
'
I
said
.
'
I
'm
an
innocent
man
,
but
I
'm
wanted
by
the
police
.
I
've
got
to
tell
you
this
,
and
I
wo
n't
be
surprised
if
you
kick
me
out
.
'
He
smiled
.
'
That
's
all
right
.
Do
n't
let
that
interfere
with
your
appetite
.
We
can
talk
about
these
things
after
dinner
.
'
I
never
ate
a
meal
with
greater
relish
,
for
I
had
had
nothing
all
day
but
railway
sandwiches
.
Sir
Walter
did
me
proud
,
for
we
drank
a
good
champagne
and
had
some
uncommon
fine
port
afterwards
.
It
made
me
almost
hysterical
to
be
sitting
there
,
waited
on
by
a
footman
and
a
sleek
butler
,
and
remember
that
I
had
been
living
for
three
weeks
like
a
brigand
,
with
every
man
's
hand
against
me
.
I
told
Sir
Walter
about
tiger-fish
in
the
Zambesi
that
bite
off
your
fingers
if
you
give
them
a
chance
,
and
we
discussed
sport
up
and
down
the
globe
,
for
he
had
hunted
a
bit
in
his
day
.
We
went
to
his
study
for
coffee
,
a
jolly
room
full
of
books
and
trophies
and
untidiness
and
comfort
.
I
made
up
my
mind
that
if
ever
I
got
rid
of
this
business
and
had
a
house
of
my
own
,
I
would
create
just
such
a
room
.
Then
when
the
coffee-cups
were
cleared
away
,
and
we
had
got
our
cigars
alight
,
my
host
swung
his
long
legs
over
the
side
of
his
chair
and
bade
me
get
started
with
my
yarn
.
'
I
've
obeyed
Harry
's
instructions
,
'
he
said
,
'
and
the
bribe
he
offered
me
was
that
you
would
tell
me
something
to
wake
me
up
.
I
'm
ready
,
Mr
Hannay
.
'
I
noticed
with
a
start
that
he
called
me
by
my
proper
name
.
I
began
at
the
very
beginning
.
I
told
of
my
boredom
in
London
,
and
the
night
I
had
come
back
to
find
Scudder
gibbering
on
my
doorstep
.
I
told
him
all
Scudder
had
told
me
about
Karolides
and
the
Foreign
Office
conference
,
and
that
made
him
purse
his
lips
and
grin
.
Then
I
got
to
the
murder
,
and
he
grew
solemn
again
.
He
heard
all
about
the
milkman
and
my
time
in
Galloway
,
and
my
deciphering
Scudder
's
notes
at
the
inn
.
'
You
've
got
them
here
?
'
he
asked
sharply
,
and
drew
a
long
breath
when
I
whipped
the
little
book
from
my
pocket
.
I
said
nothing
of
the
contents
.
Then
I
described
my
meeting
with
Sir
Harry
,
and
the
speeches
at
the
hall
.
At
that
he
laughed
uproariously
.
'
Harry
talked
dashed
nonsense
,
did
he
?
I
quite
believe
it
.
He
's
as
good
a
chap
as
ever
breathed
,
but
his
idiot
of
an
uncle
has
stuffed
his
head
with
maggots
.
Go
on
,
Mr
Hannay
.
'
My
day
as
roadman
excited
him
a
bit
.
He
made
me
describe
the
two
fellows
in
the
car
very
closely
,
and
seemed
to
be
raking
back
in
his
memory
.
He
grew
merry
again
when
he
heard
of
the
fate
of
that
ass
Jopley
.
But
the
old
man
in
the
moorland
house
solemnized
him
.
Again
I
had
to
describe
every
detail
of
his
appearance
.
'
Bland
and
bald-headed
and
hooded
his
eyes
like
a
bird
...
He
sounds
a
sinister
wild-fowl
!
And
you
dynamited
his
hermitage
,
after
he
had
saved
you
from
the
police
.
Spirited
piece
of
work
,
that
!
'
Presently
I
reached
the
end
of
my
wanderings
.
He
got
up
slowly
,
and
looked
down
at
me
from
the
hearth-rug
.
'
You
may
dismiss
the
police
from
your
mind
,
'
he
said
.
'
You
're
in
no
danger
from
the
law
of
this
land
.
'
'
Great
Scot
!
'
I
cried
.
'
Have
they
got
the
murderer
?
'
'
No
.
But
for
the
last
fortnight
they
have
dropped
you
from
the
list
of
possibles
.
'
'
Why
?
'
I
asked
in
amazement
.
'
Principally
because
I
received
a
letter
from
Scudder
.
I
knew
something
of
the
man
,
and
he
did
several
jobs
for
me
.
He
was
half
crank
,
half
genius
,
but
he
was
wholly
honest
.
The
trouble
about
him
was
his
partiality
for
playing
a
lone
hand
.
That
made
him
pretty
well
useless
in
any
Secret
Service-a
pity
,
for
he
had
uncommon
gifts
.
I
think
he
was
the
bravest
man
in
the
world
,
for
he
was
always
shivering
with
fright
,
and
yet
nothing
would
choke
him
off
.
I
had
a
letter
from
him
on
the
31st
of
May
.
'
'
But
he
had
been
dead
a
week
by
then
.
'
'
The
letter
was
written
and
posted
on
the
23rd
.
He
evidently
did
not
anticipate
an
immediate
decease
.
His
communications
usually
took
a
week
to
reach
me
,
for
they
were
sent
under
cover
to
Spain
and
then
to
Newcastle
.
He
had
a
mania
,
you
know
,
for
concealing
his
tracks
.
'
'
What
did
he
say
?
'
I
stammered
.
'
Nothing
.
Merely
that
he
was
in
danger
,
but
had
found
shelter
with
a
good
friend
,
and
that
I
would
hear
from
him
before
the
15th
of
June
.
He
gave
me
no
address
,
but
said
he
was
living
near
Portland
Place
.
I
think
his
object
was
to
clear
you
if
anything
happened
.
When
I
got
it
I
went
to
Scotland
Yard
,
went
over
the
details
of
the
inquest
,
and
concluded
that
you
were
the
friend
.
We
made
inquiries
about
you
,
Mr
Hannay
,
and
found
you
were
respectable
.
I
thought
I
knew
the
motives
for
your
disappearance-not
only
the
police
,
the
other
one
too-and
when
I
got
Harry
's
scrawl
I
guessed
at
the
rest
.
I
have
been
expecting
you
any
time
this
past
week
.
'
You
can
imagine
what
a
load
this
took
off
my
mind
.
I
felt
a
free
man
once
more
,
for
I
was
now
up
against
my
country
's
enemies
only
,
and
not
my
country
's
law
.
'
Now
let
us
have
the
little
note-book
,
'
said
Sir
Walter
.
It
took
us
a
good
hour
to
work
through
it
.
I
explained
the
cypher
,
and
he
was
jolly
quick
at
picking
it
up
.
He
emended
my
reading
of
it
on
several
points
,
but
I
had
been
fairly
correct
,
on
the
whole
.
His
face
was
very
grave
before
he
had
finished
,
and
he
sat
silent
for
a
while
.
'
I
do
n't
know
what
to
make
of
it
,
'
he
said
at
last
.
'
He
is
right
about
one
thing-what
is
going
to
happen
the
day
after
tomorrow
.
How
the
devil
can
it
have
got
known
?
That
is
ugly
enough
in
itself
.
But
all
this
about
war
and
the
Black
Stone-it
reads
like
some
wild
melodrama
.
If
only
I
had
more
confidence
in
Scudder
's
judgement
.
The
trouble
about
him
was
that
he
was
too
romantic
.
He
had
the
artistic
temperament
,
and
wanted
a
story
to
be
better
than
God
meant
it
to
be
.
He
had
a
lot
of
odd
biases
,
too
.
Jews
,
for
example
,
made
him
see
red
.
Jews
and
the
high
finance
.
'
The
Black
Stone
,
'
he
repeated
.
'
Der
Schwarze
Stein
.
It
's
like
a
penny
novelette
.
And
all
this
stuff
about
Karolides
.
That
is
the
weak
part
of
the
tale
,
for
I
happen
to
know
that
the
virtuous
Karolides
is
likely
to
outlast
us
both
.
There
is
no
State
in
Europe
that
wants
him
gone
.
Besides
,
he
has
just
been
playing
up
to
Berlin
and
Vienna
and
giving
my
Chief
some
uneasy
moments
.
No
!
Scudder
has
gone
off
the
track
there
.
Frankly
,
Hannay
,
I
do
n't
believe
that
part
of
his
story
.
There
's
some
nasty
business
afoot
,
and
he
found
out
too
much
and
lost
his
life
over
it
.
But
I
am
ready
to
take
my
oath
that
it
is
ordinary
spy
work
.
A
certain
great
European
Power
makes
a
hobby
of
her
spy
system
,
and
her
methods
are
not
too
particular
.
Since
she
pays
by
piecework
her
blackguards
are
not
likely
to
stick
at
a
murder
or
two
.
They
want
our
naval
dispositions
for
their
collection
at
the
Marineamt
;
but
they
will
be
pigeon-holed-nothing
more
.
'
Just
then
the
butler
entered
the
room
.
'
There
's
a
trunk-call
from
London
,
Sir
Walter
.
It
's
Mr
'
Eath
,
and
he
wants
to
speak
to
you
personally
.
'
My
host
went
off
to
the
telephone
.
He
returned
in
five
minutes
with
a
whitish
face
.
'
I
apologize
to
the
shade
of
Scudder
,
'
he
said
.
'
Karolides
was
shot
dead
this
evening
at
a
few
minutes
after
seven
.
'
CHAPTER
08The
Coming
of
the
Black
Stone
I
came
down
to
breakfast
next
morning
,
after
eight
hours
of
blessed
dreamless
sleep
,
to
find
Sir
Walter
decoding
a
telegram
in
the
midst
of
muffins
and
marmalade
.
His
fresh
rosiness
of
yesterday
seemed
a
thought
tarnished
.
'
I
had
a
busy
hour
on
the
telephone
after
you
went
to
bed
,
'
he
said
.
'
I
got
my
Chief
to
speak
to
the
First
Lord
and
the
Secretary
for
War
,
and
they
are
bringing
Royer
over
a
day
sooner
.
This
wire
clinches
it
.
He
will
be
in
London
at
five
.
Odd
that
the
code
word
for
a
Sous-chef
d'état
Major-General
should
be
"
Porker
"
.
'
He
directed
me
to
the
hot
dishes
and
went
on
.
'
Not
that
I
think
it
will
do
much
good
.
If
your
friends
were
clever
enough
to
find
out
the
first
arrangement
they
are
clever
enough
to
discover
the
change
.
I
would
give
my
head
to
know
where
the
leak
is
.
We
believed
there
were
only
five
men
in
England
who
knew
about
Royer
's
visit
,
and
you
may
be
certain
there
were
fewer
in
France
,
for
they
manage
these
things
better
there
.
'
While
I
ate
he
continued
to
talk
,
making
me
to
my
surprise
a
present
of
his
full
confidence
.
'
Can
the
dispositions
not
be
changed
?
'
I
asked
.
'
They
could
,
'
he
said
.
'
But
we
want
to
avoid
that
if
possible
.
They
are
the
result
of
immense
thought
,
and
no
alteration
would
be
as
good
.
Besides
,
on
one
or
two
points
change
is
simply
impossible
.
Still
,
something
could
be
done
,
I
suppose
,
if
it
were
absolutely
necessary
.
But
you
see
the
difficulty
,
Hannay
.
Our
enemies
are
not
going
to
be
such
fools
as
to
pick
Royer
's
pocket
or
any
childish
game
like
that
.
They
know
that
would
mean
a
row
and
put
us
on
our
guard
.
Their
aim
is
to
get
the
details
without
any
one
of
us
knowing
,
so
that
Royer
will
go
back
to
Paris
in
the
belief
that
the
whole
business
is
still
deadly
secret
.
If
they
ca
n't
do
that
they
fail
,
for
,
once
we
suspect
,
they
know
that
the
whole
thing
must
be
altered
.
'
'
Then
we
must
stick
by
the
Frenchman
's
side
till
he
is
home
again
,
'
I
said
.
'
If
they
thought
they
could
get
the
information
in
Paris
they
would
try
there
.
It
means
that
they
have
some
deep
scheme
on
foot
in
London
which
they
reckon
is
going
to
win
out
.
'
'
Royer
dines
with
my
Chief
,
and
then
comes
to
my
house
where
four
people
will
see
him-Whittaker
from
the
Admiralty
,
myself
,
Sir
Arthur
Drew
,
and
General
Winstanley
.
The
First
Lord
is
ill
,
and
has
gone
to
Sheringham
.
At
my
house
he
will
get
a
certain
document
from
Whittaker
,
and
after
that
he
will
be
motored
to
Portsmouth
where
a
destroyer
will
take
him
to
Havre
.
His
journey
is
too
important
for
the
ordinary
boat-train
.
He
will
never
be
left
unattended
for
a
moment
till
he
is
safe
on
French
soil
.
The
same
with
Whittaker
till
he
meets
Royer
.
That
is
the
best
we
can
do
,
and
it
's
hard
to
see
how
there
can
be
any
miscarriage
.
But
I
do
n't
mind
admitting
that
I
'm
horribly
nervous
.
This
murder
of
Karolides
will
play
the
deuce
in
the
chancelleries
of
Europe
.
'
After
breakfast
he
asked
me
if
I
could
drive
a
car
.
'
Well
,
you
'll
be
my
chauffeur
today
and
wear
Hudson
's
rig
.
You
're
about
his
size
.
You
have
a
hand
in
this
business
and
we
are
taking
no
risks
.
There
are
desperate
men
against
us
,
who
will
not
respect
the
country
retreat
of
an
overworked
official
.
'
When
I
first
came
to
London
I
had
bought
a
car
and
amused
myself
with
running
about
the
south
of
England
,
so
I
knew
something
of
the
geography
.
I
took
Sir
Walter
to
town
by
the
Bath
Road
and
made
good
going
.
It
was
a
soft
breathless
June
morning
,
with
a
promise
of
sultriness
later
,
but
it
was
delicious
enough
swinging
through
the
little
towns
with
their
freshly
watered
streets
,
and
past
the
summer
gardens
of
the
Thames
valley
.
I
landed
Sir
Walter
at
his
house
in
Queen
Anne
's
Gate
punctually
by
half-past
eleven
.
The
butler
was
coming
up
by
train
with
the
luggage
.
The
first
thing
he
did
was
to
take
me
round
to
Scotland
Yard
.
There
we
saw
a
prim
gentleman
,
with
a
clean-shaven
,
lawyer
's
face
.
'
I
've
brought
you
the
Portland
Place
murderer
,
'
was
Sir
Walter
's
introduction
.
The
reply
was
a
wry
smile
.
'
It
would
have
been
a
welcome
present
,
Bullivant
.
This
,
I
presume
,
is
Mr
Richard
Hannay
,
who
for
some
days
greatly
interested
my
department
.
'
'
Mr
Hannay
will
interest
it
again
.
He
has
much
to
tell
you
,
but
not
today
.
For
certain
grave
reasons
his
tale
must
wait
for
four
hours
.
Then
,
I
can
promise
you
,
you
will
be
entertained
and
possibly
edified
.
I
want
you
to
assure
Mr
Hannay
that
he
will
suffer
no
further
inconvenience
.
'
This
assurance
was
promptly
given
.
'
You
can
take
up
your
life
where
you
left
off
,
'
I
was
told
.
'
Your
flat
,
which
probably
you
no
longer
wish
to
occupy
,
is
waiting
for
you
,
and
your
man
is
still
there
.
As
you
were
never
publicly
accused
,
we
considered
that
there
was
no
need
of
a
public
exculpation
.
But
on
that
,
of
course
,
you
must
please
yourself
.
'
'
We
may
want
your
assistance
later
on
,
MacGillivray
,
'
Sir
Walter
said
as
we
left
.
Then
he
turned
me
loose
.
'
Come
and
see
me
tomorrow
,
Hannay
.
I
need
n't
tell
you
to
keep
deadly
quiet
.
If
I
were
you
I
would
go
to
bed
,
for
you
must
have
considerable
arrears
of
sleep
to
overtake
.
You
had
better
lie
low
,
for
if
one
of
your
Black
Stone
friends
saw
you
there
might
be
trouble
.
'
I
felt
curiously
at
a
loose
end
.
At
first
it
was
very
pleasant
to
be
a
free
man
,
able
to
go
where
I
wanted
without
fearing
anything
.
I
had
only
been
a
month
under
the
ban
of
the
law
,
and
it
was
quite
enough
for
me
.
I
went
to
the
Savoy
and
ordered
very
carefully
a
very
good
luncheon
,
and
then
smoked
the
best
cigar
the
house
could
provide
.
But
I
was
still
feeling
nervous
.
When
I
saw
anybody
look
at
me
in
the
lounge
,
I
grew
shy
,
and
wondered
if
they
were
thinking
about
the
murder
.
After
that
I
took
a
taxi
and
drove
miles
away
up
into
North
London
.
I
walked
back
through
fields
and
lines
of
villas
and
terraces
and
then
slums
and
mean
streets
,
and
it
took
me
pretty
nearly
two
hours
.
All
the
while
my
restlessness
was
growing
worse
.
I
felt
that
great
things
,
tremendous
things
,
were
happening
or
about
to
happen
,
and
I
,
who
was
the
cog-wheel
of
the
whole
business
,
was
out
of
it
.
Royer
would
be
landing
at
Dover
,
Sir
Walter
would
be
making
plans
with
the
few
people
in
England
who
were
in
the
secret
,
and
somewhere
in
the
darkness
the
Black
Stone
would
be
working
.
I
felt
the
sense
of
danger
and
impending
calamity
,
and
I
had
the
curious
feeling
,
too
,
that
I
alone
could
avert
it
,
alone
could
grapple
with
it
.
But
I
was
out
of
the
game
now
.
How
could
it
be
otherwise
?
It
was
not
likely
that
Cabinet
Ministers
and
Admiralty
Lords
and
Generals
would
admit
me
to
their
councils
.
I
actually
began
to
wish
that
I
could
run
up
against
one
of
my
three
enemies
.
That
would
lead
to
developments
.
I
felt
that
I
wanted
enormously
to
have
a
vulgar
scrap
with
those
gentry
,
where
I
could
hit
out
and
flatten
something
.
I
was
rapidly
getting
into
a
very
bad
temper
.
I
did
n't
feel
like
going
back
to
my
flat
.
That
had
to
be
faced
some
time
,
but
as
I
still
had
sufficient
money
I
thought
I
would
put
it
off
till
next
morning
,
and
go
to
a
hotel
for
the
night
.
My
irritation
lasted
through
dinner
,
which
I
had
at
a
restaurant
in
Jermyn
Street
.
I
was
no
longer
hungry
,
and
let
several
courses
pass
untasted
.
I
drank
the
best
part
of
a
bottle
of
Burgundy
,
but
it
did
nothing
to
cheer
me
.
An
abominable
restlessness
had
taken
possession
of
me
.
Here
was
I
,
a
very
ordinary
fellow
,
with
no
particular
brains
,
and
yet
I
was
convinced
that
somehow
I
was
needed
to
help
this
business
through-that
without
me
it
would
all
go
to
blazes
.
I
told
myself
it
was
sheer
silly
conceit
,
that
four
or
five
of
the
cleverest
people
living
,
with
all
the
might
of
the
British
Empire
at
their
back
,
had
the
job
in
hand
.
Yet
I
could
n't
be
convinced
.
It
seemed
as
if
a
voice
kept
speaking
in
my
ear
,
telling
me
to
be
up
and
doing
,
or
I
would
never
sleep
again
.
The
upshot
was
that
about
half-past
nine
I
made
up
my
mind
to
go
to
Queen
Anne
's
Gate
.
Very
likely
I
would
not
be
admitted
,
but
it
would
ease
my
conscience
to
try
.
I
walked
down
Jermyn
Street
,
and
at
the
corner
of
Duke
Street
passed
a
group
of
young
men
.
They
were
in
evening
dress
,
had
been
dining
somewhere
,
and
were
going
on
to
a
music-hall
.
One
of
them
was
Mr
Marmaduke
Jopley
.
He
saw
me
and
stopped
short
.
'
By
God
,
the
murderer
!
'
he
cried
.
'
Here
,
you
fellows
,
hold
him
!
That
's
Hannay
,
the
man
who
did
the
Portland
Place
murder
!
'
He
gripped
me
by
the
arm
,
and
the
others
crowded
round
.
I
was
n't
looking
for
any
trouble
,
but
my
ill-temper
made
me
play
the
fool
.
A
policeman
came
up
,
and
I
should
have
told
him
the
truth
,
and
,
if
he
did
n't
believe
it
,
demanded
to
be
taken
to
Scotland
Yard
,
or
for
that
matter
to
the
nearest
police
station
.
But
a
delay
at
that
moment
seemed
to
me
unendurable
,
and
the
sight
of
Marmie
's
imbecile
face
was
more
than
I
could
bear
.
I
let
out
with
my
left
,
and
had
the
satisfaction
of
seeing
him
measure
his
length
in
the
gutter
.
Then
began
an
unholy
row
.
They
were
all
on
me
at
once
,
and
the
policeman
took
me
in
the
rear
.
I
got
in
one
or
two
good
blows
,
for
I
think
,
with
fair
play
,
I
could
have
licked
the
lot
of
them
,
but
the
policeman
pinned
me
behind
,
and
one
of
them
got
his
fingers
on
my
throat
.
Through
a
black
cloud
of
rage
I
heard
the
officer
of
the
law
asking
what
was
the
matter
,
and
Marmie
,
between
his
broken
teeth
,
declaring
that
I
was
Hannay
the
murderer
.
'
Oh
,
damn
it
all
,
'
I
cried
,
'
make
the
fellow
shut
up
.
I
advise
you
to
leave
me
alone
,
constable
.
Scotland
Yard
knows
all
about
me
,
and
you
'll
get
a
proper
wigging
if
you
interfere
with
me
.
'
'
You
've
got
to
come
along
of
me
,
young
man
,
'
said
the
policeman
.
'
I
saw
you
strike
that
gentleman
crool
'
ard
.
You
began
it
too
,
for
he
was
n't
doing
nothing
.
I
seen
you
.
Best
go
quietly
or
I
'll
have
to
fix
you
up
.
'
Exasperation
and
an
overwhelming
sense
that
at
no
cost
must
I
delay
gave
me
the
strength
of
a
bull
elephant
.
I
fairly
wrenched
the
constable
off
his
feet
,
floored
the
man
who
was
gripping
my
collar
,
and
set
off
at
my
best
pace
down
Duke
Street
.
I
heard
a
whistle
being
blown
,
and
the
rush
of
men
behind
me
.
I
have
a
very
fair
turn
of
speed
,
and
that
night
I
had
wings
.
In
a
jiffy
I
was
in
Pall
Mall
and
had
turned
down
towards
St
James
's
Park
.
I
dodged
the
policeman
at
the
Palace
gates
,
dived
through
a
press
of
carriages
at
the
entrance
to
the
Mall
,
and
was
making
for
the
bridge
before
my
pursuers
had
crossed
the
roadway
.
In
the
open
ways
of
the
Park
I
put
on
a
spurt
.
Happily
there
were
few
people
about
and
no
one
tried
to
stop
me
.
I
was
staking
all
on
getting
to
Queen
Anne
's
Gate
.
When
I
entered
that
quiet
thoroughfare
it
seemed
deserted
.
Sir
Walter
's
house
was
in
the
narrow
part
,
and
outside
it
three
or
four
motor-cars
were
drawn
up
.
I
slackened
speed
some
yards
off
and
walked
briskly
up
to
the
door
.
If
the
butler
refused
me
admission
,
or
if
he
even
delayed
to
open
the
door
,
I
was
done
.
He
did
n't
delay
.
I
had
scarcely
rung
before
the
door
opened
.
'
I
must
see
Sir
Walter
,
'
I
panted
.
'
My
business
is
desperately
important
.
'
That
butler
was
a
great
man
.
Without
moving
a
muscle
he
held
the
door
open
,
and
then
shut
it
behind
me
.
'
Sir
Walter
is
engaged
,
Sir
,
and
I
have
orders
to
admit
no
one
.
Perhaps
you
will
wait
.
'
The
house
was
of
the
old-fashioned
kind
,
with
a
wide
hall
and
rooms
on
both
sides
of
it
.
At
the
far
end
was
an
alcove
with
a
telephone
and
a
couple
of
chairs
,
and
there
the
butler
offered
me
a
seat
.
'
See
here
,
'
I
whispered
.
'
There
's
trouble
about
and
I
'm
in
it
.
But
Sir
Walter
knows
,
and
I
'm
working
for
him
.
If
anyone
comes
and
asks
if
I
am
here
,
tell
him
a
lie
.
'
He
nodded
,
and
presently
there
was
a
noise
of
voices
in
the
street
,
and
a
furious
ringing
at
the
bell
.
I
never
admired
a
man
more
than
that
butler
.
He
opened
the
door
,
and
with
a
face
like
a
graven
image
waited
to
be
questioned
.
Then
he
gave
them
it
.
He
told
them
whose
house
it
was
,
and
what
his
orders
were
,
and
simply
froze
them
off
the
doorstep
.
I
could
see
it
all
from
my
alcove
,
and
it
was
better
than
any
play
.
I
had
n't
waited
long
till
there
came
another
ring
at
the
bell
.
The
butler
made
no
bones
about
admitting
this
new
visitor
.
While
he
was
taking
off
his
coat
I
saw
who
it
was
.
You
could
n't
open
a
newspaper
or
a
magazine
without
seeing
that
face-the
grey
beard
cut
like
a
spade
,
the
firm
fighting
mouth
,
the
blunt
square
nose
,
and
the
keen
blue
eyes
.
I
recognized
the
First
Sea
Lord
,
the
man
,
they
say
,
that
made
the
new
British
Navy
.
He
passed
my
alcove
and
was
ushered
into
a
room
at
the
back
of
the
hall
.
As
the
door
opened
I
could
hear
the
sound
of
low
voices
.
It
shut
,
and
I
was
left
alone
again
.
For
twenty
minutes
I
sat
there
,
wondering
what
I
was
to
do
next
.
I
was
still
perfectly
convinced
that
I
was
wanted
,
but
when
or
how
I
had
no
notion
.
I
kept
looking
at
my
watch
,
and
as
the
time
crept
on
to
half-past
ten
I
began
to
think
that
the
conference
must
soon
end
.
In
a
quarter
of
an
hour
Royer
should
be
speeding
along
the
road
to
Portsmouth
...
Then
I
heard
a
bell
ring
,
and
the
butler
appeared
.
The
door
of
the
back
room
opened
,
and
the
First
Sea
Lord
came
out
.
He
walked
past
me
,
and
in
passing
he
glanced
in
my
direction
,
and
for
a
second
we
looked
each
other
in
the
face
.
Only
for
a
second
,
but
it
was
enough
to
make
my
heart
jump
.
I
had
never
seen
the
great
man
before
,
and
he
had
never
seen
me
.
But
in
that
fraction
of
time
something
sprang
into
his
eyes
,
and
that
something
was
recognition
.
You
ca
n't
mistake
it
.
It
is
a
flicker
,
a
spark
of
light
,
a
minute
shade
of
difference
which
means
one
thing
and
one
thing
only
.
It
came
involuntarily
,
for
in
a
moment
it
died
,
and
he
passed
on
.
In
a
maze
of
wild
fancies
I
heard
the
street
door
close
behind
him
.
I
picked
up
the
telephone
book
and
looked
up
the
number
of
his
house
.
We
were
connected
at
once
,
and
I
heard
a
servant
's
voice
.
'
Is
his
Lordship
at
home
?
'
I
asked
.
'
His
Lordship
returned
half
an
hour
ago
,
'
said
the
voice
,
'
and
has
gone
to
bed
.
He
is
not
very
well
tonight
.
Will
you
leave
a
message
,
Sir
?
'
I
rang
off
and
almost
tumbled
into
a
chair
.
My
part
in
this
business
was
not
yet
ended
.
It
had
been
a
close
shave
,
but
I
had
been
in
time
.
Not
a
moment
could
be
lost
,
so
I
marched
boldly
to
the
door
of
that
back
room
and
entered
without
knocking
.
Five
surprised
faces
looked
up
from
a
round
table
.
There
was
Sir
Walter
,
and
Drew
the
War
Minister
,
whom
I
knew
from
his
photographs
.
There
was
a
slim
elderly
man
,
who
was
probably
Whittaker
,
the
Admiralty
official
,
and
there
was
General
Winstanley
,
conspicuous
from
the
long
scar
on
his
forehead
.
Lastly
,
there
was
a
short
stout
man
with
an
iron-grey
moustache
and
bushy
eyebrows
,
who
had
been
arrested
in
the
middle
of
a
sentence
.
Sir
Walter
's
face
showed
surprise
and
annoyance
.
'
This
is
Mr
Hannay
,
of
whom
I
have
spoken
to
you
,
'
he
said
apologetically
to
the
company
.
'
I
'm
afraid
,
Hannay
,
this
visit
is
ill-timed
.
'
I
was
getting
back
my
coolness
.
'
That
remains
to
be
seen
,
Sir
,
'
I
said
;
'
but
I
think
it
may
be
in
the
nick
of
time
.
For
God
's
sake
,
gentlemen
,
tell
me
who
went
out
a
minute
ago
?
'
'
Lord
Alloa
,
'
Sir
Walter
said
,
reddening
with
anger
.
'
It
was
not
,
'
I
cried
;
'
it
was
his
living
image
,
but
it
was
not
Lord
Alloa
.
It
was
someone
who
recognized
me
,
someone
I
have
seen
in
the
last
month
.
He
had
scarcely
left
the
doorstep
when
I
rang
up
Lord
Alloa
's
house
and
was
told
he
had
come
in
half
an
hour
before
and
had
gone
to
bed
.
'
'
Who-who-
'
someone
stammered
.
'
The
Black
Stone
,
'
I
cried
,
and
I
sat
down
in
the
chair
so
recently
vacated
and
looked
round
at
five
badly
scared
gentlemen
.
CHAPTER
09The
Thirty-Nine
Steps
'
Nonsense
!
'
said
the
official
from
the
Admiralty
.
Sir
Walter
got
up
and
left
the
room
while
we
looked
blankly
at
the
table
.
He
came
back
in
ten
minutes
with
a
long
face
.
'
I
have
spoken
to
Alloa
,
'
he
said
.
'
Had
him
out
of
bed-very
grumpy
.
He
went
straight
home
after
Mulross
's
dinner
.
'
'
But
it
's
madness
,
'
broke
in
General
Winstanley
.
'
Do
you
mean
to
tell
me
that
that
man
came
here
and
sat
beside
me
for
the
best
part
of
half
an
hour
and
that
I
did
n't
detect
the
imposture
?
Alloa
must
be
out
of
his
mind
.
'
'
Do
n't
you
see
the
cleverness
of
it
?
'
I
said
.
'
You
were
too
interested
in
other
things
to
have
any
eyes
.
You
took
Lord
Alloa
for
granted
.
If
it
had
been
anybody
else
you
might
have
looked
more
closely
,
but
it
was
natural
for
him
to
be
here
,
and
that
put
you
all
to
sleep
.
'
Then
the
Frenchman
spoke
,
very
slowly
and
in
good
English
.
'
The
young
man
is
right
.
His
psychology
is
good
.
Our
enemies
have
not
been
foolish
!
'
He
bent
his
wise
brows
on
the
assembly
.
'
I
will
tell
you
a
tale
,
'
he
said
.
'
It
happened
many
years
ago
in
Senegal
.
I
was
quartered
in
a
remote
station
,
and
to
pass
the
time
used
to
go
fishing
for
big
barbel
in
the
river
.
A
little
Arab
mare
used
to
carry
my
luncheon
basket-one
of
the
salted
dun
breed
you
got
at
Timbuctoo
in
the
old
days
.
Well
,
one
morning
I
had
good
sport
,
and
the
mare
was
unaccountably
restless
.
I
could
hear
her
whinnying
and
squealing
and
stamping
her
feet
,
and
I
kept
soothing
her
with
my
voice
while
my
mind
was
intent
on
fish
.
I
could
see
her
all
the
time
,
as
I
thought
,
out
of
a
corner
of
my
eye
,
tethered
to
a
tree
twenty
yards
away
.
After
a
couple
of
hours
I
began
to
think
of
food
.
I
collected
my
fish
in
a
tarpaulin
bag
,
and
moved
down
the
stream
towards
the
mare
,
trolling
my
line
.
When
I
got
up
to
her
I
flung
the
tarpaulin
on
her
back-
'
He
paused
and
looked
round
.
'
It
was
the
smell
that
gave
me
warning
.
I
turned
my
head
and
found
myself
looking
at
a
lion
three
feet
off
...
An
old
man-eater
,
that
was
the
terror
of
the
village
...
What
was
left
of
the
mare
,
a
mass
of
blood
and
bones
and
hide
,
was
behind
him
.
'
'
What
happened
?
'
I
asked
.
I
was
enough
of
a
hunter
to
know
a
true
yarn
when
I
heard
it
.
'
I
stuffed
my
fishing-rod
into
his
jaws
,
and
I
had
a
pistol
.
Also
my
servants
came
presently
with
rifles
.
But
he
left
his
mark
on
me
.
'
He
held
up
a
hand
which
lacked
three
fingers
.
'
Consider
,
'
he
said
.
'
The
mare
had
been
dead
more
than
an
hour
,
and
the
brute
had
been
patiently
watching
me
ever
since
.
I
never
saw
the
kill
,
for
I
was
accustomed
to
the
mare
's
fretting
,
and
I
never
marked
her
absence
,
for
my
consciousness
of
her
was
only
of
something
tawny
,
and
the
lion
filled
that
part
.
If
I
could
blunder
thus
,
gentlemen
,
in
a
land
where
men
's
senses
are
keen
,
why
should
we
busy
preoccupied
urban
folk
not
err
also
?
'
Sir
Walter
nodded
.
No
one
was
ready
to
gainsay
him
.
'
But
I
do
n't
see
,
'
went
on
Winstanley
.
'
Their
object
was
to
get
these
dispositions
without
our
knowing
it
.
Now
it
only
required
one
of
us
to
mention
to
Alloa
our
meeting
tonight
for
the
whole
fraud
to
be
exposed
.
'
Sir
Walter
laughed
dryly
.
'
The
selection
of
Alloa
shows
their
acumen
.
Which
of
us
was
likely
to
speak
to
him
about
tonight
?
Or
was
he
likely
to
open
the
subject
?
'
I
remembered
the
First
Sea
Lord
's
reputation
for
taciturnity
and
shortness
of
temper
.
'
The
one
thing
that
puzzles
me
,
'
said
the
General
,
'
is
what
good
his
visit
here
would
do
that
spy
fellow
?
He
could
not
carry
away
several
pages
of
figures
and
strange
names
in
his
head
.
'
'
That
is
not
difficult
,
'
the
Frenchman
replied
.
'
A
good
spy
is
trained
to
have
a
photographic
memory
.
Like
your
own
Macaulay
.
You
noticed
he
said
nothing
,
but
went
through
these
papers
again
and
again
.
I
think
we
may
assume
that
he
has
every
detail
stamped
on
his
mind
.
When
I
was
younger
I
could
do
the
same
trick
.
'
'
Well
,
I
suppose
there
is
nothing
for
it
but
to
change
the
plans
,
'
said
Sir
Walter
ruefully
.
Whittaker
was
looking
very
glum
.
'
Did
you
tell
Lord
Alloa
what
has
happened
?
'
he
asked
.
'
No
?
Well
,
I
ca
n't
speak
with
absolute
assurance
,
but
I
'm
nearly
certain
we
ca
n't
make
any
serious
change
unless
we
alter
the
geography
of
England
.
'
'
Another
thing
must
be
said
,
'
it
was
Royer
who
spoke
.
'
I
talked
freely
when
that
man
was
here
.
I
told
something
of
the
military
plans
of
my
Government
.
I
was
permitted
to
say
so
much
.
But
that
information
would
be
worth
many
millions
to
our
enemies
.
No
,
my
friends
,
I
see
no
other
way
.
The
man
who
came
here
and
his
confederates
must
be
taken
,
and
taken
at
once
.
'
'
Good
God
,
'
I
cried
,
'
and
we
have
not
a
rag
of
a
clue
.
'
'
Besides
,
'
said
Whittaker
,
'
there
is
the
post
.
By
this
time
the
news
will
be
on
its
way
.
'
'
No
,
'
said
the
Frenchman
.
'
You
do
not
understand
the
habits
of
the
spy
.
He
receives
personally
his
reward
,
and
he
delivers
personally
his
intelligence
.
We
in
France
know
something
of
the
breed
.
There
is
still
a
chance
,
mes
amis
.
These
men
must
cross
the
sea
,
and
there
are
ships
to
be
searched
and
ports
to
be
watched
.
Believe
me
,
the
need
is
desperate
for
both
France
and
Britain
.
'
Royer
's
grave
good
sense
seemed
to
pull
us
together
.
He
was
the
man
of
action
among
fumblers
.
But
I
saw
no
hope
in
any
face
,
and
I
felt
none
.
Where
among
the
fifty
millions
of
these
islands
and
within
a
dozen
hours
were
we
to
lay
hands
on
the
three
cleverest
rogues
in
Europe
?
Then
suddenly
I
had
an
inspiration
.
'
Where
is
Scudder
's
book
?
'
I
cried
to
Sir
Walter
.
'
Quick
,
man
,
I
remember
something
in
it
.
'
He
unlocked
the
door
of
a
bureau
and
gave
it
to
me
.
I
found
the
place
.
thirty-nine
steps
,
I
read
,
and
again
,
thirty-nine
steps
-
I
counted
them-high
tide
10.17
P.M.
The
Admiralty
man
was
looking
at
me
as
if
he
thought
I
had
gone
mad
.
'
Do
n't
you
see
it
's
a
clue
,
'
I
shouted
.
'
Scudder
knew
where
these
fellows
laired-he
knew
where
they
were
going
to
leave
the
country
,
though
he
kept
the
name
to
himself
.
Tomorrow
was
the
day
,
and
it
was
some
place
where
high
tide
was
at
10.17
.
'
'
They
may
have
gone
tonight
,
'
someone
said
.
'
Not
they
.
They
have
their
own
snug
secret
way
,
and
they
wo
n't
be
hurried
.
I
know
Germans
,
and
they
are
mad
about
working
to
a
plan
.
Where
the
devil
can
I
get
a
book
of
Tide
Tables
?
'
Whittaker
brightened
up
.
'
It
's
a
chance
,
'
he
said
.
'
Let
's
go
over
to
the
Admiralty
.
'
We
got
into
two
of
the
waiting
motor-cars-all
but
Sir
Walter
,
who
went
off
to
Scotland
Yard-to
'
mobilize
MacGillivray
'
,
so
he
said
.
We
marched
through
empty
corridors
and
big
bare
chambers
where
the
charwomen
were
busy
,
till
we
reached
a
little
room
lined
with
books
and
maps
.
A
resident
clerk
was
unearthed
,
who
presently
fetched
from
the
library
the
Admiralty
Tide
Tables
.
I
sat
at
the
desk
and
the
others
stood
round
,
for
somehow
or
other
I
had
got
charge
of
this
expedition
.
It
was
no
good
.
There
were
hundreds
of
entries
,
and
so
far
as
I
could
see
10.17
might
cover
fifty
places
.
We
had
to
find
some
way
of
narrowing
the
possibilities
.
I
took
my
head
in
my
hands
and
thought
.
There
must
be
some
way
of
reading
this
riddle
.
What
did
Scudder
mean
by
steps
?
I
thought
of
dock
steps
,
but
if
he
had
meant
that
I
did
n't
think
he
would
have
mentioned
the
number
.
It
must
be
some
place
where
there
were
several
staircases
,
and
one
marked
out
from
the
others
by
having
thirty-nine
steps
.
Then
I
had
a
sudden
thought
,
and
hunted
up
all
the
steamer
sailings
.
There
was
no
boat
which
left
for
the
Continent
at
10.17
p.m.
Why
was
high
tide
so
important
?
If
it
was
a
harbour
it
must
be
some
little
place
where
the
tide
mattered
,
or
else
it
was
a
heavy-draught
boat
.
But
there
was
no
regular
steamer
sailing
at
that
hour
,
and
somehow
I
did
n't
think
they
would
travel
by
a
big
boat
from
a
regular
harbour
.
So
it
must
be
some
little
harbour
where
the
tide
was
important
,
or
perhaps
no
harbour
at
all
.
But
if
it
was
a
little
port
I
could
n't
see
what
the
steps
signified
.
There
were
no
sets
of
staircases
on
any
harbour
that
I
had
ever
seen
.
It
must
be
some
place
which
a
particular
staircase
identified
,
and
where
the
tide
was
full
at
10.17
.
On
the
whole
it
seemed
to
me
that
the
place
must
be
a
bit
of
open
coast
.
But
the
staircases
kept
puzzling
me
.
Then
I
went
back
to
wider
considerations
.
Whereabouts
would
a
man
be
likely
to
leave
for
Germany
,
a
man
in
a
hurry
,
who
wanted
a
speedy
and
a
secret
passage
?
Not
from
any
of
the
big
harbours
.
And
not
from
the
Channel
or
the
West
Coast
or
Scotland
,
for
,
remember
,
he
was
starting
from
London
.
I
measured
the
distance
on
the
map
,
and
tried
to
put
myself
in
the
enemy
's
shoes
.
I
should
try
for
Ostend
