s whistling somewhere upon the Downs, and in the
valley a ploughman had just harnessed his team; but the village was
hidden from them by the sweep of the hills, and no other being was in
sight. He helped Malvina out, and leaving her seated on a fallen
branch beneath a walnut tree, proceeded cautiously towards the house.
He found a little maid in the garden. She had run out of the house on
hearing the sound of his propeller and was staring up into the sky, so
that she never saw him until he put his hand upon her shoulder, and
then was fortunately too frightened to scream. He gave her hasty
instructions. She was to knock at the Professor's door and tell him
that his cousin, Commander Raffleton, was there, and would he come down
at once, by himself, into the orchard. Commander Raffleton would rather
not come in. Would the Professor come down at once and speak to
Commander Raffleton in the orchard.

She went back into the house, repeating it all to herself, a little
scared.

"Good God!" said Cousin Christopher from beneath the bedclothes. "He
isn't hurt, is he?"

The little maid, through the jar of the door, thought not. Anyhow, he
didn't look it. But would the Professor kindly come at once? Commander
Raffleton was waiting for him--in the orchard.

So Cousin Christopher, in bedroom slippers, without socks, wearing a
mustard-coloured dressing-gown and a black skull cap upon his head--the
very picture of a friendly magician--trotted hastily downstairs and
through the garden, talking to himself about "foolhardy boys" and
"knowing it would happen"; and was much relieved to meet young Arthur
Raffleton coming towards him, evidently sound in wind and limb. And
then began to wonder why the devil he had been frightened out of bed at
six o'clock in the morning if nothing was the matter.

But something clearly was. Before speaking Arthur Raffleton looked
carefully about him in a manner suggestive of mystery, if not of crime;
and still without a word, taking Cousin Christopher by the arm, led the
way to the farther end of the orchard. And there, on a fallen branch
beneath the walnut tree, Cousin Christopher saw apparently a khaki
coat, with nothing in it, which, as they approached it, rose up.

But it did not rise very high. The back of the coat was towards them.
Its collar stood out against the sky line. But there wasn't any head.
Standing upright, it turned round, and peeping out of its folds Cousin
Christopher saw