Part 2 (2/2)

I looked closely at the paper The 'K' was un Itfroia Sofia to a suburban villa What's your next puzzle, dick? Have you entered for a prize competition in a weekly paper?'

'Cancer,' I read out

'It is the Latin for a crab Likewise it is the nan of the Zodiac'

'V I,' I read

'There you have me It sounds like the number of a motor-car The police would find out for you I call this rather a difficult competition What's the prize?'

I passed him the paper 'Who wrote it? It looks as if he had been in a hurry'

'Harry Bullivant,' I said

Sandy's face grew solemn 'Old Harry He was at my tutor's The best fellow God ever made I saw his nas without a purpose What's the story of this paper?'

'Wait till after dinner,' I said 'I' to dine, and he's part of the business'

Mr Blenkiron arrived punctual to the minute in a fur coat like a Russian prince's Now that I saw hie hiure, and very muscular wrists showed below his shi+rt-cuffs I fancied that, if the occasion called, he ood man with his hands

Sandy and I ate a hearty meal, but the American picked at his boiled fish and sipped his milk a drop at a tiood as his word and laid hiar, but he preferred one of his own lean black aboth in an easy chair and lit his pipe 'Now for your story, dick,' he said

I began, as Sir Walter had begun withtheood yarn, for I had been thinking a lot about it, and the ot very keen

'It is possible enough Indeed, I've been expecting it, though I'ot up their sleeve It o there was a bogus prophecy that played the devil in Ye such as Ali Wad Helu had, or a jewel like Solomon's necklace in Abyssinia You never knoill start off a jehad! But I rather think it's a et his purchase?' I asked

'It's hard to say If it were ot a reputation as a saint and ht be a fellow that preached a pure religion, like the chap that founded the Senussi But I' extra special if he can put a spell on the whole Moslem world The Turk and the Persian wouldn't follow the ordinary new theology game He must be of the Blood Your Mahdis and Mullahs and Ie To capture all Islaather that is e fear-the man must be of the Koreish, the tribe of the Prophet himself'

'But how could any impostor prove that? For I suppose he's an impostor'

'He would have to coin with, and there are families, remember, that claim the Koreish blood Then he'd have to be rather a wonder on his own account-saintly, eloquent, and that sort of thing And I expect he'd have to show a sign, though what that could be I haven't a notion'

'You know the East about as well as any livingis possible?' I asked

'Perfectly,' said Sandy, with a grave face

'Well, there's the ground cleared to begin with Then there's the evidence of pretty well every secret agent we possess That all seems to prove the fact But we have no details and no clues except that bit of paper' I told them the story of it

Sandy studied it rinkled brows 'It beats me But it may be the key for all that A clue hdad'

'That's just the point I was co is about as iiveout to find what the mischief is Once he knows that, he says he can checkot to be found out soon, for theat any moment I've taken on the job Will you help?'