The Thirty-Nine Steps

ies Convergi

ich seemed the size of a bell-buoy. A couple of miles farther south and much nearer the shore a small destroyer was anchored. Scaife, Ma

g the sands, and sat down in a nook of the cliffs while he investigated the half-dozen of them. I didn't want to be see

ng towards me, conning a bit of paper, I can tell you my heart was i

-four, thirty-five, thirty-nine, forty-two, forty-seven,' and 'twe

en men, and I directed them to divide themselves among different specified hotel

bout him, except that he was a decent old fellow, who paid his bills regularly, and was always good for a fiver for a local charity. Then Scaife seemed to have penetrated to the back door of the house, pretending he was an agent for sewing-machines. Only three servants were kept, a cook, a parlour-maid, and a housemaid, and they were just the sort that y

f turf along the cliff top, with seats placed at intervals, and the little square plots, railed in and planted with bushes, whence the staircases descended to the beach. I saw Trafalgar Lodge very plainly, a red-brick

and a straw hat. He carried field-glasses and a newspaper, and sat down on one of the iron seats and began to read. Sometimes he would lay down the paper and turn his glasses on t

chaeologist of that horrible moorland farm, or he might not. He was exactly the kind of satisfied old bird you will find in

e up from the south and dropped anchor pretty well opposite the Ruff. She seemed about a hundred and fifty tons, and I saw she belo

cliffs of the Ruff I saw the green and red of the villas, and especially the great flagstaff of Trafalgar Lodge. About four o'clock, when we had fished enough, I made the boatman

answer in the soft dialect of Essex. Another hand that came along passed me the time of day in an unmistakable English tongue. Ou

a pleasant, clean-looking young fellow, and he put a question to us about our fishing in very good English. But th

clue, would they not be certain to change their plans? Too much depended on their success for them to take any risks. The whole question was how much they understood about Scudder's knowledge. I had talked confidently last night about Germans always sticking to a scheme, but if they had any suspicions that I was o

aife introduced me, and with whom I had a few words. Then I t

ve a more innocent spectacle. They shouted and laughed and stopped for drinks, when a maid brought out two tankards on a salver. I rubbed my eyes and asked myself if I was not the most immortal fool on earth. Mystery and darkness had hung about the men who hunted me over the Scotch moor in aeroplane and motor-car, and notably about that infernal antiquarian. It was easy enough to connect those folk with the knife t

ey were chaffing him, and their chaff sounded horribly English. Then the plump man, mopping his brow with a silk handkerchief, announced that he must have a tub. I heard his very words-'I've got i

hey were, where was their audience? They didn't know I was sitting thirty yards off in a rhododendron. It was simply impossible to believe that these t

yacht with at least one German officer. I thought of Karolides lying dead and all Europe trembling on the edge of earthquake, and the men I had left behind me in London who were wai

ve I faced a job with greater disinclination. I would rather in my then mind have walked into a den of anarchists, each with his Browning handy, or face

y side of the law, when he had been wanted badly by the authorities. Peter once discussed with me the question of disguises, and he had a theory which struck me at the time. He said, barring absolute certainties like fingerprints, mere ph

ad never been out of them, he would puzzle the cleverest detectives on earth. And he used to tell a story of how he once borrowed a black coat and went to church and shared the same hymn-book wi

en a wise old bird, and these fellows I was after were about the pick of the aviary. What if they wer

u convince yourself that you are it.' That would explain the game of tennis. Those chaps didn't need to act, they just turned a handle and passed into anot

nged with him how to place his men, and then I went for a walk, for I didn't feel up to any dinner. I went r

wards. Out at sea in the blue dusk I saw lights appear on the Ariadne and on the destroyer away to the south, and beyond the Cock sands the bigger lights of steamers making for the

hills. We were after rhebok, the dun kind, and I recollected how we had followed one beast, and both he and I had clean lost it. A greyhound works by sight, and my eyes are good enough, but that buck simply leaked out of the lands

e Black Stone didn't need to bolt. They were quietly absorbed into the landscape. I was on the right tra

eparated it from the cliff road; the windows on the ground-floor were all open, and shaded lights and the low sound of voices revealed where the occupants

men, and I was sufficiently at my ease with people like Sir Walter and the men I had met the night before. I can't explain why, but it is a fact. But what fellows like me don't understand is the great comfortable, satisfied middle-class world

lf-clubs and tennis-rackets, the straw hats and caps, the rows of gloves, the sheaf of walking-sticks, which you will find in ten thousand British homes. A stack of neatly folded coats and waterproofs covered the top of an old oak chest; there was a grandfather clock ticking; and so

worn they were English public school or college. I had only one glance, for I managed to pull myself together and go after the maid. But I was

in evening dress-a short coat and black tie, as was the other, whom I called in my own mind the plump one. The

tatingly. 'Did you wish to see me? One moment, you fellows,

in me, I forced myself to play the game

ore,' I said, 'and I gue

ar as I could see their faces, they pla

very good memory, but I'm afraid you must tell

talking pure foolishness-'I have come to tell you that the gam

nd he looked really shocked.

in Scudder in London on t

e before,' said the ol

and Place murder. I read about it. Good heavens

d Yard,'

he old man was staring at his plate and fumbling w

. He stammered a little, li

we can easily set it right. It won't be hard to prove our innocence. I can show that I was out of the country o

rom Woking, and lunched at the club with Charlie Symons. Then-oh yes, I dined with the Fishmongers. I remember, for the punch didn't agree with me, and

ee you are mistaken. We want to assist the law like all Englishmen, and we

ice. 'Certainly, we'll do anything in our power to assist the a

ou would die of boredom because nothing ever happened to you. And now

I should be angry, to show my innocence, but it's too funny! I almost forgive you the fright you

lf I must see it through, even though I was to be the laughing-stock of Britain. The light from the dinner-table candlesticks was not very good, and to c

Scotland, but there was nothing to identify them. I simply can't explain why I who, as a roadman, had looked into two pairs of eyes, and as Ned Ainslie into another pair, why I,

ng to connect them with the moorland desperadoes. There was a silver cigarette-box beside me, and I saw that it had been won by Percival Apple

politely, 'are you reassu

n't fin

p this ridiculous business. I make no complaint, but yo

ok my

young man. 'This

suppose you won't be content with the local branch. I have the right to ask to see your warrant, but I don't wish to cast

y blunder and clear out. I felt mesmerized by the whole place, by the air of obvious inn

and for a moment I was very near damning

e. 'It will give Mr Hannay time to think over things, and you

rink. I took my place at the table in a kind of dream. The window was open and the moon was flooding the cliffs and sea with a great tide of yellow light. There was moonshine, too, in my head. The three h

hey had got me puzzled, and that put them more than ever at their ease. I kept looking at their faces, but they conveyed n

ething a

didn't pick it up at once, but sat back for a moment

d stood before him in the moorland farm, w

yes on my cards at the time and missed it. But I didn't, and, in a flash, the air seemed to clear. So

mantelpiece str

murderer. Now I saw cruelty and ruthlessness, where before I had only seen good-humour. His kn

ed. That chap must have been a superb actor. Perhaps he had been Lord Alloa of the night before; perhaps not; it didn't matter. I wondered if he was the f

where I had seen the benevolence. His jaw was like chilled steel, and his eyes had the inhuman luminosity of a bird's. I went on playing, and every second

g your train. Bob's got to go to town tonight,' he added, turning to me. The voice

must put off his

dropped that rot. I've simply got to go. You can ha

id, 'you m

rate. Their only chance had been to convince me that I was play

tent you, Mr Hannay.' Was it fancy, or did I d

him, his eyelids fell in that hawk-like

my wh

arms gripped me round the waist, covering the pocket

oot, das Boot!' As it spoke I saw two o

e plump one collared, but my eyes were all for the out-of-doors, where Franz sped on over the road towards the railed entrance to the beach stairs. One man followed him, but he had no ch

if a lever had been pulled. Then came a low rumbling far, far below the ground, and t

itched on

looking at me wi

n time ... He is gone ... He has triumphed .

ey flamed with a hawk's pride. A white fanatic heat burned in them, and I realized for the first time the

ed on his wrists I sai

. I ought to tell you that the Ariadne f

y the first week, and owing to my Matabele experience got a captain's commissio