Part 27 (2/2)

The 'Four Seasons' Hotel was on the esplanade facing the northern beach Living up to its nan-board, 'Inclusive terms for winter visitors; special attention to invalids, etc' Here in a great glass restaurant, with the unruffled blue of ocean spread out before us, we ate the king of breakfasts, disrant Havanas exaood diplo had been tae from the minutest scrutiny, directed, of course, in particular to the franked official letters (for to my surprise there were two) from Whitehall

The first in order of date (6th Oct) ran: 'Dear Carruthers--Take another week by all ent') had been sent to my home address and forwarded It was dated 15th October, and cancelled the previous letter, requesting e your holiday, but we are very busy, and, at present, short-handed--Yours, etc' There was a dry postscript to the effect that another tiular and definite information as to ot this!' I said, handing it to Davies

'You won't go, will you?' said he, looking, nevertheless, with unconcealed awe at the great hty official crest Meanwhile I discovered an endorsement on a corner of the envelope: 'Don't worry; it's only the chief's fuss--M--' I promptly tore up the envelope There are domestic mysteries which it would be indecent and disloyal to reveal, even to one's best friend

The rest of my letters need no remark; I smiled over some and blushed over others--all were voices from a life which was infinitely far away Davies, ence of a newspaper, spelling it out line by line, and referring i of words

'Hullo!' he said, suddenly; 'sarown on the northern horizon and was drawing shorewards slowly but surely

'It doesn't et back to the yacht We can't leave her alone in the fog'

There was so to be done on the way back, and in the course of looking for the shops anted we came on the Schwannallee and noted its position Before we reached the harbour the fog was on us, charging up the streets in dense ht up to the pier-head, or we should have lost our way and wasted time, which, in the event, was of priceless value Presently we stuainst the Harbour Office, which was our landhy The saood-naturedly held the painter while we handed in our parcels

He wanted to knoe had left the flesh-pots of the 'Vier Jahreszeiten' To look after our yacht, of course There was no need, he objected; there would be no trafficcome on at that hour, had come to stay If it did clear he would keep an eye on the yacht for us We thanked hio aboard

'You'll have a job to find her now,' he said

The distance was eighty yards at the most, but we had to use a scientific ht in the approach to the eastern pier

'Row straight out at right angles to the pier,' he said now I did so, Davies sounding with his scull between the strokes He found the bottoed-out channel at this point Then we turned to the right, and e of thea kerbstone) and taking short excursions from it, till the 'Dulcibella' hove in view 'That's partly luck,' Davies coht to have had the coed shouts with the man on the pier to shoe had arrived

[Illustration: Chart B of Juist, Meood practice, that sort of thing,' said Davies, e had diseot a sixth sense,' I observed 'How far could you go like that?'

'Don't know Let's have another try I can't sit still all day Let's explore this channel'

'_Why not go to Memmert?'_ I said, in fun

'To Memmert?' said Davies, slowly; 'by Jove! that's an idea!'

'Good Heavens,Why, it's ten mortal miles'

'More,' said Davies, absently 'It's not so much the distance--what's the ti about? Wehi by the splendour of the idea I had awakened Confidence in his skill was second nature to reatness, the completeness of the opportunity, if by aon at Meone there; here e, tenIt was knoere here--Dollmann and Grimm knew it; the crew of the 'Medusa' knew it; the crew of the 'Kormoran' knew it; the man on the pier, whether he cared or not, knew it But none of them knew Davies as I knew him Would anyone dreaive me two minutes' He whipped out the Gero?' ('Exactly!' The word tickled ely)

'To the depot, of course; it's our only chance'

'Listen then--there are two routes: the outside one by the open sea, right round Juist, and doubling south--the siest; the depot's at the south point of Me' _[See Chart B]_

'How far would that way be?'