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Of course I could not advertise my loss, and I didn't greatly mind it, for this was not a job where I could do much shooting. But it made me think a good deal about Mr Gresson. He simply could not suspect me; if he had bagged my gun, as I was pretty certain he had, it must be because he wanted it for himself and not that he might disarm me. Every way I argued it I reached the same conclusion.
The result was that I delayed our departure for ten minutes and when I came on board faced a wrathful Gresson. 'Where the hell have you been? he asked. 'The weather's blowing up dirty and the old man's mad to get off. Didn't you get your legs stretched enough this afternoon? I explained humbly that I had been to the schoolmaster to get something to read, and produced my dingy red volumes.
But we faked up a torn bit of that noospaper, and a very pretty bit of forgery it was, and Gresson, who's a kind of a scholar, was allowed to have it. He passed it on. Ivery showed it me two nights ago. Nothing like it ever sullied the columns of Boche journalism. No, it was a perfectly final proof ... Now, Dick, it's up to you to get after Gresson. 'Right, I said.
I'll mind the looks of ye the next time I see ye. Gresson was wiping the blood from his cheek with a silk handkerchief. 'I guess I'm in your debt, Mr Brand, he said. 'You may bet I won't forget it. I returned to an anxious Amos. He heard my story in silence and his only comment was 'Well done the Fusiliers! 'It might have been worse, I'll not deny, he went on.
I didn't pursue the subject, for I had found Demas's silver-mine. If the Tobermory lay at Ranna for a week, Gresson would have time to do his own private business. Ranna would not be the spot, for the island was bare to the world in the middle of a much-frequented channel.
Are any good cargoes waiting in your neighbourhood? Reply Post Office, Oban. It was highly important that Gresson should not see this, but it was the deuce of a business to shake him off. I went for a walk in the afternoon along the shore and passed the telegraph office, but the confounded fellow was with me all the time.
I heard the name of Gresson, and turned to find a fellow of about thirty-five, rather sprucely dressed, with a flower in his buttonhole. 'Mr Brand, he said, in a rich American voice which recalled Blenkiron's. 'Very pleased to meet you, sir.
But he got his foot in it again, for he pointed to the Sinn Feiners as examples of manly independence. At that, pandemonium broke loose, and he never had another look in. There were several fights going on in the hall between the public and courageous supporters of the orator. Then Gresson advanced to the edge of the platform in a vain endeavour to retrieve the day.
I remembered Gresson's word to his friend: 'Tomorrow night. As I read it, the Portuguese Jew had taken a message from Gresson to someone, and that someone had come from somewhere and picked it up. The message contained an assignation for this very night. I had found a point of observation, for no one was likely to come near my cave, which was reached from the moor by such a toilsome climb.
We've a heap o' calls to make Mull and Islay way. The purser came up to inquire about my ticket, and greeted me with a grin. 'Ye're acquaint with Mr Gresson, then? said the captain. 'Weel, we're a cheery wee ship's company, and that's the great thing on this kind o' job. I made but a poor supper, for the wind had risen to half a gale, and I saw hours of wretchedness approaching.
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