He's up here in
this district now--this minute--hunting for us. Come on! let's go
and find him. By James! it's a ripping end to the business--what?"

"That depends," replied Cleek without much enthusiasm. "Which
limousine is Lennard using to-day? The new blue one?"

"Cinnamon, no! That won't be delivered until the day after to-morrow.
So it will be the good old red one, of course. Will it matter?"

"Come and see!" said Cleek, swinging out of the grounds into the
public highway again, and walking fast. "At all events, an ounce
of certainty is worth a pound of suspicion, and this little _faux
pas_ will decide the question. They are no fools, those Apaches;
and Waldemar knows how to wait patiently for what he wants."

"Waldemar? The Apaches? Good lud, man, what are you talking about?
You are not worrying over that business again, I hope. Haven't I
told you over and over again that we couldn't find one trace of them
anywhere in London--that they cleared out bag and baggage after that
fruitless trip to Yorkshire? The whole truth of the matter, to my
way of thinking, is that they awoke then to the fact that you had
'dropped' to their being after you, and knowing you weren't to be
caught napping, gave it up as a bad job."

"Or altered their tactics and set out to follow some one else."

"Some one else? Good lud, don't talk rubbish. What good would
following some one else do if they were after you?"

"Come and see," said Cleek again, and would say no more, but
merely walked on faster than ever--up one thoroughfare and down
another--flicking eager glances to right and to left in search of
the red limousine.

In the thick of the High Street they caught sight of it at last,
tooling about aimlessly, while Lennard kept constant watch on the
crowd of shoppers that moved up and down the pavement.

"Cut ahead and stop it and we shall see what we _shall_ see, Mr.
Narkom. I'll join you presently," said Cleek, and he stood watching
while the superintendent forged ahead in the direction of the
limousine; and continued watching even after he saw him reach it and
bring it to a halt, and stand at the kerb talking earnestly with
Lennard.

But of a sudden the old crooked smile looped up the corner of his
mouth; he stood at attention for a moment or two, breathing hard
through his nostrils, and moving not at all until, abruptly starting
into activity, he walked rapidly down the pavement and joined Narkom.

"Well?" queried the supe