And while I'm on it, wouldn't it be just as well to give me
a sketch of the plot? I'm working in the dark as it is, but, if I had
some idea of what's at the back of all this, I might be able to look
after you better."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he said slowly, and for the first time
since we had met he eyed me with suspicion. There was doubt in his
glance, the sort of doubt that a man does not care to see in the eyes of
a friend. I saw that I had made a radical mistake in even hinting that I
wished to know his secret, and I hastened to make what amends I could.

"I'm sorry," I said, "if you look at it in that way. I was only doing it
for your own good. You're paying what's an enormous sum to me, and I'm
trying to justify your expenditure. If I know your enemies and all about
them, I can certainly plan level and, maybe, occasionally outguess them.
That's the only thing I had in mind when I spoke, and if I gave you any
other impression I'm sorry I said what I did."

He moved his shoulders in a kind of half-shrug. It was at once a gesture
of relief and of dismissal, so without more ado I said, "If there's
nothing further you want, I'll make off now. If you want me any time
I'll be pottering around the house somewhere."

"Well, there is something I'd like you to do, Jim," he said. "I want
half-a-dozen parish maps. Here's the list of them"--he handed me a piece
of paper with a few names scribbled on the back--"and here's the money.
Go down to the Lands Department and they'll fix you up. Mind that they
are large scale maps, the largest they've got. You'd better take the
car, and don't be any longer than you can help."

"It's a twenty minutes' run at the outside," I said. "I won't waste any
time."

He nodded quite cheerfully to me and went into his room. I heard the key
grate in the lock as I walked down the passage and I remember saying to
myself, "That habit's going to get him into trouble yet."

I reached the office in record time. They had some trouble in finding
the maps I wanted--most of them were of parishes situated around the
foot of the Grampians--but in the end they produced some that I fancied
would suit my man. My twenty minutes' limit had almost expired and, as
it is a matter of pride with me to be punctual, I let the car out a
little. That, I suppose, was my undoing, for just as I crossed over the
busiest street a motor-lorry swerved out and nearly collided with me. I
did some very neat wheel-work, b