Tommy stopped the
car promptly, asked in a casual tone whether the path led down to the
sea, and hearing it did paid off the man in handsome style.
A moment later the taxi was slowly chugging back to Holyhead. Tommy and
Julius watched it out of sight, and then turned to the narrow path.
"It's the right one, I suppose?" asked Tommy doubtfully. "There must be
simply heaps along here."
"Sure it is. Look at the gorse. Remember what Jane said?"
Tommy looked at the swelling hedges of golden blossom which bordered the
path on either side, and was convinced.
They went down in single file, Julius leading. Twice Tommy turned his
head uneasily. Julius looked back.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. I've got the wind up somehow. Keep fancying there's some
one following us."
"Can't be," said Julius positively. "We'd see him."
Tommy had to admit that this was true. Nevertheless, his sense of
uneasiness deepened. In spite of himself he believed in the omniscience
of the enemy.
"I rather wish that fellow would come along," said Julius. He patted his
pocket. "Little William here is just aching for exercise!"
"Do you always carry it--him--with you?" inquired Tommy with burning
curiosity.
"Most always. I guess you never know what might turn up."
Tommy kept a respectful silence. He was impressed by little William. It
seemed to remove the menace of Mr. Brown farther away.
The path was now running along the side of the cliff, parallel to the
sea. Suddenly Julius came to such an abrupt halt that Tommy cannoned
into him.
"What's up?" he inquired.
"Look there. If that doesn't beat the band!"
Tommy looked. Standing out half obstructing the path was a huge boulder
which certainly bore a fanciful resemblance to a "begging" terrier.
"Well," said Tommy, refusing to share Julius's emotion, "it's what we
expected to see, isn't it?"
Julius looked at him sadly and shook his head.
"British phlegm! Sure we expected it--but it kind of rattles me, all the
same, to see it sitting there just where we expected to find it!"
Tommy, whose calm was, perhaps, more assumed than natural, moved his
feet impatiently.
"Push on. What about the hole?"
They scanned the cliff-side narrowly. Tommy heard himself saying
idiotically:
"The gorse won't be there after all these years."
And Julius replied solemnly:
"I guess you're right."
Tommy suddenly pointed with a shaking hand.
"What about that crevice there?"
Juli
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