athing through his mouth to
avoid the tell-tale whistle of his hairy nostrils. I heard Grim
start toward the hall, but Sir Louis turned him back and came
straight in.

"It occurred to me I'd save you the time of coming up to see me
this morning, Grim, and look in on you instead before I start my
rounds. Any new developments?"

"Not yet, sir. I'll need forty-eight hours. If we move too
fast they may touch the stuff off before we get the whole gang
in the net."

"You're sure you'd rather not have the police?"

"Quite. They mean well, but they're clumsy."

"Um-m-m! All the same, the thing's ticklish. There are rumours
about all ready. The Grand Mufti* came to me before breakfast
with a wild tale. I've promised him some Sikhs for special
sentry duty. He'd hardly gone before some Zionists came with a
story that the Arabs are planning to blow up their hospital; I
gave them ten men and an officer." [*The religious head of the
Moslem community.]

"Is the city quiet?" Grim asked him.

"Fair to middling. The Jews refused to take their shutters down
this morning. I had to issue an order about it. I hear now that
they're doing business about as usual, but I've ordered the
number of men on duty within the city walls to be doubled. At
the first sign of disturbance I shall have the gates closed. Are
you quite sure you're in touch?"

"Quite. sure, sir. I'm positive of what I told you last night.
Will you be seeing Colonel Goodenough?"

"Yes, in ten minutes."

"Please ask him to hold his Sikhs at my disposal for the next two
days. You might add, sir, that if he cares to see sport he could
do worse than lend his own services."

"I'll do that. You can count on Goodenough. That's a soldier
devoid of nonsense. Anything else?"

"That's all."

"Keep me informed. Remember, Grim, I'm responsible for all you
do. I've endorsed you in blank, as it were. Don't overlook
that point."

"I won't, sir."

Sir Louis walked out. Almost before his spurs ceased jingling in
the tiled hall, Brigadier-General Jenkins strode out in a
towering rage from behind the screen.

"'Pon my soul, a spy's trick!" he exploded. "Had an
eavesdropper, did you? Listening from behind a screen while you
tricked me into a promise on Catesby's account!"

"Sure," Grim answered, folding the screen back, and letting
his face wrinkle in smiles all the way up to the roots of
his hair. Very comical he looked, for his eyebrows were