Part 33 (1/2)

”It's hateful, isn't it?” she said. ”I feel as if we were fighting in the dark.”

”That's just what we are doing,” answered Tommy, ”but we're letting in a bit of light by degrees though.” Then he turned to me. ”McMurtrie's got some game on, evidently, and this chap Latimer's dropped on it.

That was why they tried to put him out of the way.”

”Yes,” I said, ”and if Latimer is really in the secret service, it must be a precious queer sort of game too.”

Tommy nodded. ”I wonder if they're anarchists,” he said, after a short pause. ”Perhaps they want your powder to blow up the Houses of Parliament or the Law Courts with.”

I laughed shortly. ”No,” I said. ”Whatever McMurtrie's after, it's nothing so useful and unselfish as that. If I thought it was I shouldn't worry.”

”Well, there's only one thing to do,” observed Tommy, after a pause, ”and that's to go and look up Latimer, as I suggested. You're sure he didn't recognize you?”

I shrugged my shoulders. ”I'm sure of nothing about him,” I replied, ”except that he's a superb liar.”

”We must risk it anyhow,” said Tommy. ”He's the only person who knows anything of what's going on, and he evidently wants to find out who sent him that note, or he wouldn't have answered it as he did. He'll have to give me some sort of explanation if I go and see him. I shall rub it into him that my supposed pal is a perfectly sensible, unimaginative sort of chap--and anyway people don't invent a yarn like that.”

”Look!” interrupted Joyce suddenly. ”Isn't that Mr. Gow coming along by those trees?”

She pointed away down the creek, and following her direction I saw the figure of our trusty retainer trudging back towards the s.h.i.+p, with a bundle over his shoulder. He had exchanged Tommy's picturesque outfit for some garments of his own, more in keeping with his new and dignified position.

”I'll pick him up,” I said; ”but what are we going to do about getting back? We had better not try Tilbury, or we may run into Latimer; it would put the hat on everything if he saw us together.”

Tommy consulted his watch. ”It's just half-past three now,” he said.

”I vote we run across to Gravesend and catch the train there. Old Whiskers can bring the boat back here after we've gone--if he's still sober.”

”Of course he's sober,” said Joyce; ”look at the beautiful way he's walking.”

I should hardly have applied quite such a complimentary adjective to Mr. Gow's gait myself, but all the same Joyce's diagnosis proved to be quite correct. Mr. Gow was sober--most undoubtedly and creditably sober. I rowed to the bank, and brought him on board, and when we told him of our plans he expressed himself as being perfectly competent to manage the return journey single-handed.

”You leave 'er to me,” he remarked consolingly. ”I shan't want no help--not to bring 'er in here. Some people don't hold with being alone in a boat, but that ain't Luke Gow's way.”

He went forward to get up the anchor, while Tommy and I occupied ourselves with the exciting sport of trying to start the engine. It went off at last with its usual vicious kick, and a few minutes later we were throbbing our way out of the creek into the main river.

The tide was right at its highest, and down the centre of the fairway straggled a long procession of big hooting steamers, sluggish brown-sailed barges, and small heavily-burdened tugs, puffing out their usual trails of black smoke. One felt rather like a terrier trying to cross Piccadilly, but by waiting for our chance we dodged through without disaster, and pulled up in a comparatively tranquil spot off the Gravesend landing-stage.

Tommy signalled to one of the boatmen who were hanging about the steps waiting for stray pa.s.sengers.

”This chap will take us off,” he said, turning to Mr. Gow. ”You push straight back while the engine's running; she usually stops when we've got about as far as this.”

”And I'll come over to the creek some time tomorrow,” I added; though in my present circ.u.mstances a confident prophecy of any kind seemed a trifle rash.

We went ash.o.r.e and stood for a moment on the stage watching the _Betty_ thread her course back through the traffic. Mr. Gow seemed to handle her with perfect confidence, and relieved on this point we turned round and set off for the station.

We found ourselves in luck's way. An unusually obliging train was due to start in ten minutes' time, and as before we managed to secure an empty compartment.

”I tell you what I want you to do when we get back to town, Joyce,” I said. ”I want you to help me buy a hat.”

”What's the matter with the one you're wearing?” demanded Tommy. ”It just suits your savage style of beauty.”

”Oh, this new one isn't for me,” I explained. ”It's for a lady--a lady friend, as we say.”

”I didn't know you had any,” said Joyce, ”except me and Sonia.”