him,
and to telegraph to Port Said. Now that we are certain that he did not
go that way, we must try and find out in what direction he did proceed."

"And also what has become of the blind man and his companion," said
Leglosse. "They may be hot upon his trail, and if we can only discover
them, and keep an eye on them, we may find out all we want to know. But
it is likely to prove a difficult task."

We tried the various shipping offices, without success. We called at
every hotel, important or otherwise, questioned the City Police, who
assured us they had seen nothing of the men we described and finally
were compelled to own ourselves thoroughly well beaten. Leglosse's face
was the picture of despair, and I fear mine was not much better. We
inserted advertisements in the papers, but with no more luck than
before. From the moment the trio had entered Naples, they seemed to have
vanished entirely. Then one evening, a ragged little urchin called at
the hotel and asked to see us. In reply to our questions, he informed us
that he had seen two Englishmen only the day before, such as the police
said we were inquiring for; one of them was blind, the other dumb.
Indeed he was sure of this, for the reason that he had carried their bag
for them down to the harbour whence the Palermo boat sailed. We pricked
up our ears on hearing this. If his story was correct, and Kitwater and
Codd had visited Sicily, then without a doubt Hayle must have gone there
too. But we had no desire to allow ourselves to be taken in again. It
might be another of Hayle's tricks, and for this reason we questioned
the boy more closely; he adhered, however, to his story without a
variation. His description of the men was perfect in every respect, and
he assured us most emphatically that he knew nothing of any individual
with such a scar upon his face as Hayle possessed. At last we became
convinced that his story was genuine, and we rewarded the boy
accordingly. After he had disappeared we informed Miss Kitwater of the
discovery we had made.

"You will follow them to Palermo?"

"Assuredly, mademoiselle," Leglosse replied. "I have my duty to
perform."

"Then I must go with you," she answered. "If he is on the island the
chase must be drawing to a close, and I must be present to protect him,
if possible, against himself."

Accordingly next morning, for the steamer for that day had long since
sailed, we set out for the kingdom of Sicily, that gem among Isla