on and next to
a large, luxuriously furnished state-room which he pointed out as
destined for the lady passenger whom they were to call for on their way
down the coast.

"By the way," he wheezed with one of his monkey-like grins as he
prepared to return to the bridge, "I haven't had the honour of an
introduction. It might save awkwardness if you'd kindly put a name to
yourself, miss."

"Jimpson," was the reply, "Miss Nettle Jimpson, and you'll find I'm a
stinging-nettle, if you don't treat me fair."

Brant bowed with a mock solemnity, the hollowness of which he scarcely
troubled to conceal. "Simon Brant has tamed vixens worse than you, my
lass," he muttered behind his yellow teeth as he swung himself back to
his perch.

And all that lovely summer afternoon the _Cobra's_ powerful turbine
engines drove the graceful vessel through the calm waters of the sunlit
sea nearer to its prey. At sundown speed was reduced in order to conform
with the instructions not to arrive off Ottermouth till after dark. But
when the last rose tint had faded from the western sky Brant gave orders
to steam slowly round the point at the river's mouth and heave to about
three miles from the shore.

"Now the fun begins," he said to Cheeseman, who was with him on the
bridge. "Keep your eyes skinned for a blue light followed by a green due
north of us. When we see it you'll take the electric launch and drive
her to the point where the light is shown. There you'll find a passenger
waiting for you. Make the launch travel like hell, for you'll have
another trip later. Rat Mullins and Snobby Wilson will go with you.
They're about the toughest of the crowd, but I don't figure on trouble
for you. The chap that's bossing things ashore will have seen to that."

So "the sleeping snake" lay on the gently heaving swell amid the gloom
of the moonless night, and waited.

CHAPTER XX

BLUE LIGHT AND GREEN

Leslie Chermside stood at the window of the library at The Hut eating
his heart out in black despair. Travers Nugent had finally convinced him
that the police held a warrant for his arrest and that his only road to
safety--not, perhaps, though that was doubtful, from conviction of the
murder of Levison, but from exposure of his connivance at Violet
Maynard's abduction--lay in flight. He had consented to go on board the
_Cobra_ after dark, and escape to South America or anywhere else.
Personally he did not care where he went. Wherever it was it