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such as know its flavour, danger is a wonderful spice.
    As Bell took a pistol from the locker—
    “It’s like old times, sir,” he said.
    And then we were all in the Rolls, and Palin was sitting with Mansel, to tell him the way to go. I was kneeling behind and between them, to hear what they said.
    “The private road,” said Palin, “is two miles long. If you don’t want to drive that bit, you can berth the car in a wood. By the way, have you got a torch?”
    “Be your age,” said Mansel. “We’re old in sin.”
    “God be praised,” said Palin. “The point is this. If the sluice is down, water will not be flowing down in the woods. I will make my way down there, complete with torch. If the water is flowing, I signal twice. If it is not flowing, which God forbid, I signal five times.”
    “Aren’t you assuming,” said Mansel, “that they will go in by the gate?”
    “Wrong again,” said Palin. “Of course they won’t. The drawbridge is up of nights when the Ferrers are gone. They’ll go in by the postern steps. Not the postern itself. That’s barred. But, if they can reach the terrace…”
    “Go on.”
    “Well, I could do it,” said Palin. “A pane of glass and a shutter wouldn’t stop me.”
    “What about the stables? I seem to remember that trees lean over their roofs.”
    “That would bring them into the courtyard. I’d put the terrace first.”
    “The terrace has it,” said Mansel. “What else d’you know?”
    “The water remains,” said Palin. “If that’s not flowing, they’re in.”
    “Or they’ve been and gone,” said Mansel. “Once they’d got the stuff, they wouldn’t pull up the sluice.”
    “You know,” said Palin, “you’ve got a nasty mind. I’ve lost quite half a stone since you sprang the mine. I don’t say I can’t afford it, but must you twist my tail?”
    “Sorry,” said Mansel, laughing, “but facts have got to be faced.”
    “Oh, dear. And he made me laugh. The things he said about Gibbon. D’you really think he’s your man?”
    “Yes, I do,” said Mansel. “He’s just the sort of wallah I thought would be on this job. But it’s not your fault at all. I should have done the same, if I hadn’t been warned. How far is the private road?”
    “About four miles, now. There’s a village a mile ahead.”
    “Tell me before I get there. I want to put out my lights.”
    “Then put them out,” said Palin. “It’s round that bend.”
    The night was very dark, but, though the way was strange, Mansel drove without lights till we came to the private road: here he had to use them, because of the woods.
    “Where is this place,” said Mansel, “at which we can berth the car?”
    “On the left,” said Palin; “about a furlong ahead.” A moment later I saw the mouth of a track.
    Mansel changed to a lower gear.
    As he lifted the Rolls from the road and into the track, he brought her up all standing, and Palin exclaimed.
    Six paces in front of us was standing another car.
    I was out in a flash and was moving along its off side: but the driver’s seat was empty, and, when I used my torch, I saw that there was no one within the car. This was a very nice Lowland and must have been very fast. The switch and the bonnet were locked, but the doors were not.
    “All clear?” said Mansel, beside me.
    I told him yes.
    “Good,” says he. “But it’s just as well we came.” He turned to speak to Palin. “How far are we from the castle?”
    “About two miles.”
    “In that case they’re almost certainly using a second car. Bell, keep an eye on that road – towards the castle, I mean. Carson, turn the Rolls, take her back to the highway and cruise to and fro. William, back this car down and leave her across the road: I think her weight will do it, if you take the hand-brake off.”
    As the Rolls moved out of my way, I did as he said – to bring the Lowland to rest directly across the road. So nothing could ever go by – not even a bicycle.
    “Cut