the board.

CHAPTER 30.

THE TRUE AURIOLE.

Hugo Van Diest struggled to his feet gasping for breath and stroking
his chin with sympathetic fingers. Comparatively speaking, Richard's
blow had been a light one, but the Dutchman's training had not fitted
him for taking punishment. He was hurt, outraged and resentful.

"This young man wass very violent, Hipps," he muttered jerkily. "I
donno--s'no use--seems."

"Are we beat, Chief?"

"I don't like this word 'beat.' Mus' be a way." He paused for a
moment to recover his breath then turned to Laurence. "This Miss
Craven, she hass not arrifed yet?"

"She's here. Came five minutes ago."

"She know how we stand, yes?"

Hipps nodded.

"She don't quite register on the line we've adopted to make him talk.
Kind o' kept that in the background. Women are soft."

"Ask she come up," said Van Diest.

And Laurence went out passing Blayney who was on duty outside the door.

"What's the bend, Chief?" demanded Hipps.

Van Diest shook his head thoughtfully. "Donno, donno. Wass awful if
we mus' do someting. Eh? Hipps, eh?"

And he tilted his head suggestively toward Richard's bedroom.

"His own damn fault," came the answer.

"But it wass a man's life, Hipps."

"I've no choice that way myself."

Van Diest began to pace the floor, his fingers tattooing on his chest
and his head going from side to side.

"We ought to haf read better the character of this man. S'no good to
know about the monies and not about the mens. We find ourselves in a
terrible position. Ss! Terrible--terrible."

There was a clatter of footsteps on the stairs and Laurence, a
telegraph form in his hand, burst into the room.

"What you haf there?"

"Can't make head nor tail of the damn thing. Read it aloud," cried
Laurence excitedly.

Ezra Hipps moved over to his Chief's side as the old man picked out the
code words and translated them aloud.

The message was simple enough.

"'Saw Barraclough Polperro this morning. Been following all day.
Escaped in Panhard, probably will enter London by Portsmouth or Great
Western Road. Am pursuing in Ford car. Obstruct. Harrison Smith.'"

It was handed in at eight o'clock and postmarked Wimborne.

"Saw Barraclough!" repeated Hipps. "Harrison Smith's gone crazy."

For a moment Van Diest said nothing, then remarked:

"Smart man, you know. Smart man."

"He's made a mistake," said Laurence. "How in hell could he see
Barracloug