. Bavin was, he thought, a bouncing jackass, but he
bounced before a large audience. He was certainly a person to
'acquire,' and Chard went about the world 'acquiring' the people whom
he deemed worthy of that honour. It would be useful to know Bavin well
and the formal President's dinner would not give him much chance.
Smith-Aitken, too, had been civil lately; he really wasn't such a bad
chap. So Chard accepted with alacrity and Martin watched them being
driven away. Nixon, a friend of Smith-Aitken's, went with them. He
wanted a lift to the station.

That was at half-past two.

At a quarter to seven Lawrence rushed into Martin's rooms.

"Have you heard the latest?" he shouted. "Our Chard has been
kidnapped. It's all over the place. Smith-Aitken got him in his car
and God knows where they've taken him."

Martin saw it all in a flash. "But how did it leak out?" he asked.

"One of Smith-Aitken's push let on. Couldn't contain himself for glee.
Someone on the Bullingdon suggested it. They all hate Chard, and now
they think they've fairly got him. No cheers and epigrams to-night."

"Are you dead certain about it?"

"Well, Chard isn't in his rooms. Neither he nor Smith-Aitken have been
seen, and Bavin arrived from town by the 6.5."

Martin was silent.

"It's damned funny," said Lawrence.

"It would be a damned sight funnier if he could get back."

"But he won't. They'll see to that."

"We might get him," said Martin suddenly. "I've got an idea. This
morning I heard the man Holland ask Smith-Aitken to dine with him
to-night at Vincent's. Smith-A. said he wouldn't be in Oxford.
'Town?' said Holland. 'No, Abingdon, King's Arms.' Holland said
something about a woman in the case and Smith-A. said: 'Not this time.
Don't you know?' It was a mere fluke that I heard him. But I fancy we
may as well make use of the chance. I'm pretty sure Chard will be a
guest at a little dinner in Abingdon."

"Yes, but it's only a possibility. Besides, what can we do?"

"We can look them up, just to emphasise the necessity of keeping
secrets."

"It's nearly seven now."

"We can bag Rendell's motor bike and side-car."

"Yes; but what can we do when we're there?"

"Wait for an inspiration."

They went. The journey took some time, for the motor bicycle behaved
abominably on Hinksey hill. Not till a quarter to eight did they reach
Abingdon. Martin dismounted in the square and left Lawrence with the
machine