got them to leave our
machine in its place on the chance that you might say something that
would give you away. Gianesi suspects nothing. Wire as usual, at about
half-past two in the morning, when you mean it for me.'

'That ought to be good enough,' said Logan approvingly, while the hammers
and the caber, under Mr. Macrae's directions, were thundering on the door
of Blake's room. The door, which was very strong, gave way at last with
a crash; in they burst. The room was empty, a rope fastened to the
ironwork of the bedstead showed the poet's means of escape, for a long
rope-ladder swung from the window. On the table lay a letter directed to

_Thomas Merton, Esq_.,
_care of Ronald Macrae, Esq_.,
_Castle Skrae_.

Mr. Macrae took the letter, bidding Benson, the butler, search the room,
and conveyed the epistle to Merton, who opened it. It ran thus:--

'DEAR MERTON,--As a man of the world, and slightly my senior, you must
have expected to meet me in the smoking-room to-night, or at least
Lord Fastcastle probably entertained that hope. I saw that things
were getting a little too warm, and made other arrangements. It is a
little hard on the poor fellow whom you have probably mauled, if you
have not shot each other. As he has probably informed you, he is not
Mr. Gianesi, but a dismissed _employe_, whom we enlisted, and whom I
found it desirable to leave behind me. These discomforts will occur;
I myself did not look for so severe an assault as I suffered down at
the cove on Sunday evening. The others carried out their parts only
too conscientiously in my case. You will not easily find an
opportunity of renewing our acquaintance, as I slit and cut the tyres
of all the motors, except that on which I am now retiring from
hospitable Castle Skrae, having also slit largely the tyres of the
bicycles. Mr. Macrae's new wireless machine has been rendered useless
by my unfortunate associate, and, as I have rather spiked all the
wheeled conveyances (I could not manage to scuttle the yacht), you
will be put to some inconvenience to re-establish communications. By
that time my trail will be lost. I enclose a banknote for 10_l_.,
which pray, if you would oblige me, distribute among the servants at
the Castle. Please thank Mr. Macrae for all his hospitality. Among
my books you may find something to interest you. You may keep my
manuscript poems