must be intrusted to nobody except
Colonel Sapt himself. I wonder, my lord, that you didn't notice that the
flag was hauled down."

"Tut, man, I wasn't staring at the keep. Give me the letter." For I saw
that the clue to this fresh puzzle must lie under the cover of Sapt's
letter. That letter I must myself carry to Sapt, and without loss of
time.

"Give you the letter, my lord? But, pardon me, you're not the
constable." He laughed a little.

"Why, no," said I, mustering a smile. "It's true that I'm not the
constable, but I'm going to the constable. I had the king's orders to
rejoin him as soon as I had seen the queen, and since her Majesty isn't
here, I shall return to the lodge directly a fresh horse can be saddled
for me. And the constable's at the lodge. Come, the letter!"

"I can't give it you, my lord. Her Majesty's orders were positive."

"Nonsense! If she had known I should come and not the constable, she
would have told me to carry it to him."

"I don't know about that, my lord: her orders were plain, and she
doesn't like being disobeyed."

The stableman had led the horse away, the footman had disappeared,
Hermann and I were alone. "Give me the letter," I said; and I know that
my self-control failed, and eagerness was plain in my voice. Plain it
was, and Hermann took alarm. He started back, clapping his hand to the
breast of his laced coat. The gesture betrayed where the letter was; I
was past prudence; I sprang on him and wrenched his hand away, catching
him by the throat with my other hand. Diving into his pocket, I got the
letter. Then I suddenly loosed hold of him, for his eyes were starting
out of his head. I took out a couple of gold pieces and gave them to
him.

"It's urgent, you fool," said I. "Hold your tongue about it." And
without waiting to study his amazed red face, I turned and ran towards
the stable. In five minutes I was on a fresh horse, in six I was clear
of the castle, heading back fast as I could go for the hunting-lodge.
Even now Hermann remembers the grip I gave him--though doubtless he has
long spent the pieces of gold.

When I reached the end of this second journey, I came in for the
obsequies of Boris. James was just patting the ground under the tree
with a mattock when I rode up; Sapt was standing by, smoking his pipe.
The boots of both were stained and sticky with mud. I flung myself from
my saddle and blurted out my news. The constable snatched at his letter
with an oath;