. "It wasn't a
disguise, it was an alteration; trim of moustache, cut and colour of
hair, darkened skin and such trifles."

"And the black eye, sir," interpolated Thompson.

"That was certainly a happy stroke," cried Colonel Walton.

"It takes a good deal of moral courage to black your own eye," said
Sage quietly. "I tried it once myself."

"How do you plan to proceed?" It was Colonel Walton who spoke.

"If Naylor is really the man we're after and this Bergen fellow is on a
secret mission, then it's pretty sure they were intended to get into
touch." Sage paused for a moment, then added: "Anyhow, it's worth
trying. It's a risk, of course. Naylor may have met him before."

"The risk will be mainly Finlay's," said Colonel Walton drily, as he
smoked meditatively.

"It would be yours or mine, chief, only nature cast us in a different
mould."

For some moments Colonel Walton did not reply.

"I don't like sending a man on a----" He paused.

"There's no question of sending Finlay; it's more a matter of holding
him back. By the way," he continued casually, "Thompson burgled John
Dene's place last night, got a set of plans, the chit signed by Sir
Lyster and the Skipper, and one or two other papers that should be
useful."

"I don't quite like it, Sage." Colonel Walton knitted his brows.

"It's giving the Yard something to do," was Sage's indifferent retort.
"They're buzzing about John Dene like flies to-day. He's expressing
himself to them in choice Canadian too, so Thompson tells me."

Thompson gave an appreciative grin.

"I dropped in there this morning, sir, and----" He did not conclude
his sentence; but his look was one of keen appreciation. "He's got
some words, has Inspector Bluggers," he added, "but Mr. Dene left him
standing."

"We've just been going over the points of Finlay and the Bergen man,"
explained Sage. "They're pretty well in agreement. Personally I
believe there's a lot in that ring. We stripped the other fellow of
his clothes, Finlay insisted on having them baked. Fussy sort of chap
in things like that," he added, "but that ring. Men don't generally
wear turquoises set in an eccentric pattern. Ha!" He looked up
suddenly.

Colonel Walton looked across at him interrogatingly.

"You remember the initials inside, chief?"

Colonel Walton nodded.

"D.U.A. weren't they?"

"What about Deutsches ueber alles?"

"A bit obvious," suggested Colonel Walton.

"The Hun always is