nctly.

"You have explored the house?"

"As far as I could," Granet replied. "The place is almost in a state of
siege."

"Proves that we are on the right track, any way. What's that building
that seems to stand out in the water?"

"How do you know about it?" Granet demanded.

"I sailed out this evening, hired a boat at Brancaster Staithe. The
fellow wouldn't go anywhere near Market Burnham, though, and I'm rather
sorry I tried to make him. They've got the scares here, right enough,
Granet. I asked him to let me the boat for a week and he wasn't even
civil about it. Didn't want no strangers around these shores, he told
me. When I paid him for the afternoon he was surly about it and kept
looking at my field-glasses."

Granet frowned heavily.

"It isn't going to be an easy matter," he confessed. "I hear the
Admiralty are going to take over the whole thing within the next few
days, and are sending Marines down. How's the time?"

They glanced at their watches. It was five minutes before midnight.
As though by common consent, they both crossed to the window and stood
looking out into the darkness. A slight wind was moving amongst the
treetops, the night was clear but moonless. About half a mile away they
could just discern a corner of the club-house. They stood watching it
in silence. At five minutes past twelve, Granet shut his watch with a
click.

"Not to-night, then," he whispered. "Collins!"

"Well?"

"What is going on in that wooden shanty?"

The little man dropped his voice.

"Germany lost two submarines in one day," he murmured. "The device
which got them came from that little workshop of Worth's. The plans are
probably there or on the premises somewhere."

Granet groaned.

"As a matter of fact I have been within a few yards of the thing," he
said. "It was all fenced around with match-boarding."

"Do you mean that you have been allowed on board the _Scorpion_?"

Granet nodded.

"I had the rottenest luck," he declared. "I took Miss Conyers and her
friend down to see her brother, Commander Conyers. We were invited to
lunch on board. At the last moment we were turned off. Through some
glasses from the roof of the 'Ship' I saw some workmen pull down the
match-boarding, but I couldn't make out what the structure was."

"I can give you an idea," Collins remarked. "This fellow Worth has got
hold of some system of concentric lenses, with extraordinary reflectors
which enable him to see distinctly at l