he meshes?

The fowlers smiled. They invited Merrick to try it for himself. On that
stormy east coast it was foolish to take any risks. And Merrick was
satisfied. As a matter of fact, he was more than satisfied.

He was really beginning to see his way at last. By the time he got back
to his headquarters again he had practically reconstructed the crime. As
he stood on the railway permanent way, gazing down into the network of
the fowlers below, he smiled to himself. He could have tossed a biscuit
on to the top of the long lengths of tarred and knotted rigging. Later
on he telephoned to the London terminus of the Grand Coast Railway for
the people there to place the services of Catesby at his disposal for a
day or two. Could Catesby meet him at Lydmouth to-morrow?

The guard could and did. He frankly admitted that he was grateful for
the little holiday. He looked as if he wanted it. The corners of his
mouth twitched, his hands were shaky.

"It's nerves, Mr. Merrick," he explained. "We all suffer from them at
times. Only we don't like the company to know it, ye understand? To tell
the truth, I've never got over that affair at the Junction here eight
years ago. I expect you remember that."

Merrick nodded. Catesby was alluding to a great railway tragedy which
had taken place outside Lydmouth station some few years back. It had
been a most disastrous affair for a local express, and Catesby had been
acting as guard to the train. He spoke of it under his breath.

"I dream of it occasionally even now," he said. "The engine left the
line and dragged the train over the embankment into the river. If you
ask me how I managed to escape, I can't tell you. I never come into
Lydmouth with the night express now without my head out of the window of
the van right away from the viaduct till she pulls up at the station.
And what's more, I never shall. It isn't fear, mind you, because I've as
much pluck as any man. It's just nerves."

"We get 'em in our profession, too," Merrick smiled. "Did you happen to
be looking out of the window on the night of the murder?"

"Yes, and every other night, too. Haven't I just told you so? Directly
we strike the viaduct I come to my feet by instinct."

"Always look out the same side, I suppose?"

"Yes, on the left. That's the platform side, you understand."

"Then if anybody had left the train there----"

"Anybody left the train! Why we were traveling at fifty miles an hour
when we reached the