nonessentials I mean the little potty spies, actuated by sheer
hunger or mere officiousness, the neutral busybody who makes a
tip-and-run dash into England, the starving waiter, miserably
underpaid by some thieving rogue in a neutral country--or the
frank swindler who sends back to the Fatherland and is duly paid
for long reports about British naval movements which he has
concocted without setting foot outside his Bloomsbury lodgings.

"These folk are dealt with somehow and every now and then one of
'em gets shot, just to show that we aren't asleep, don't you
know? But spasmodic reports we can afford to ignore. What we are
death on is anything like a regular news service from this
country to Germany; and to keep up this steady flow of reliable
information is the perpetual striving of the men who run the
German Secret Service.

"These fellows, my dear Okewood, move in darkness. Very often we
have to grope after 'em in darkness, too. They don't get shot, or
hardly ever; they are far too clever for that. Between us and
them it is a never-ending series of move and countermove, check
and counter-check. Very often we only know of their activities by
enemy action based on their reports. Then there is another leak
to be caulked, another rat-hole to be nailed up, and so the game
goes on. Hitherto I think I may say we have managed to hold our
own!"

The Chief stopped to light another cigarette. Then he resumed but
in a lower voice.

"During the past month, Okewood," he said, "a new organization
has cropped up. The objective of every spy operating in this
country is, as you may have surmised, naval matters, the
movements of the Fleet, the military transports, and the food
convoys. This new organization has proved itself more efficient
than any of its predecessors. It specializes in the movement of
troops to France, and in the journeys of the hospital ships
across the Channel. Its information is very prompt and extremely
accurate, as we know too well. There have been some very
disquieting incidents in which, for once in a way, luck has been
on our side, but as long as this gang can work in the dark there
is the danger of a grave catastrophe. With its thousands of miles
of sea to patrol, the Navy has to take a chance sometimes, you
know! Well, on two occasions lately, when chances were taken, the
Hun knew we were taking a chance, and what is more, when and
where we were taking it!"

The Chief broke off, then looking Desmon