know enough to clear up the whole affair."

Hilliard, who was suffering from the reaction of his night of stress,
took a depressed view and did not welcome the SUGGESTION. He seemed to
have lost heart in the inquiry, and again urged dropping it and
passing on their knowledge to Scotland Yard. But this course Merriman
strenuously opposed, pressing his view that the key to the mystery was
to be found in the changing of the lorry numbers. Finally they decided
to leave the question over until the following day, and to banish the
affair from their minds for that evening by a visit to a music hall.

CHAPTER 9. THE SECOND CARGO

Merriman was awakened in the early hours of the following morning by
a push on the shoulder and, opening his eyes, he was amazed to see
Hilliard, dressed only in his pajamas, leaning over him. On his friend's
face was an expression of excitement and delight which made him a
totally different man from the gloomy pessimist of the previous day.

"Merriman, old man," he cried, though in repressed tones--it was only
a little after five--"I'm frightfully sorry to stir you up, but I just
couldn't help it. I say, you and I are a nice pair of idiots!"

Merriman grunted.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he murmured sleepily.

"Talking about?" Hilliard returned eagerly. "Why, this affair, of
course! I see it now, but what I don't see is how we missed it before.
The idea struck me like a flash. Just while you'd wink I saw the whole
thing!"

Merriman, now thoroughly aroused, moved with some annoyance.

"For Heaven's sake, explain yourself," he demanded. "What whole thing?"

"How they do it. We thought it was brandy smuggling but we couldn't see
how it was done. Well, I see now. It's brandy smuggling right enough,
and we'll get them this time. We'll get them, Merriman, we'll get them
yet."

Hilliard was bubbling over with excitement. He could not remain still,
but began to pace up and down the room. His emotion was infectious, and
Merriman began to feel his heart beat quicker as he listened.

Hilliard went on:

"We thought there might be brandy, in fact we couldn't suggest anything
else. But we didn't see any brandy; we saw pit-props. Isn't that right?"

"Well?" Merriman returned impatiently. "Get on. What next?"

"That's all," Hilliard declared with a delighted laugh. "That's the
whole thing. Don't you see it now?"

Merriman felt his anger rising.

"Confound it all, Hilliard," h