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He nodded, 'Have you any notion who has been engaged in the job? I had it on my tongue to mention Japp, but forbore, remembering my promise. 'I can name one, I said, 'a little yellow Portugoose, who calls himself Henriques or Hendricks. He passed by here the day before yesterday. Captain Arcoll suddenly was consumed with quiet laughter.
I noticed that the outer door giving on the road was shut, a most unusual thing in the afternoon. Japp had some small objects in his hand, and the two were evidently arguing about a price. I had no intention at first of eavesdropping, and was just about to push the door open, when something in Japp's face arrested me. He was up to no good, and I thought it my business to wait.
Poirot had conferred with Japp in a low tone on the way up, and it was the latter functionary who requested that the household, with the exception of the servants, should be assembled together in the drawing-room. I realized the significance of this. It was up to Poirot to make his boast good. Personally, I was not sanguine.
Do you know what happened next day? Cetewayo's impis came over the hills, and in an hour there wasn't a living white soul in the glen. Two men escaped, and one of them was called Peter Japp. 'We are in God's hands then, and must wait on His will, I said solemnly. There was no more sleep for Wardlaw and myself that night.
We made the best barricade we could of the windows, loaded all our weapons, and trusted to Colin to give us early news. Before supper I went over to get Japp to join us, but found that that worthy had sought help from his old protector, the bottle, and was already sound asleep with both door and window open.
"I was foolish, no doubt," murmured Inglethorp. "But you do not know, inspector, how I have been persecuted and maligned." And he shot a baleful glance at Evelyn Howard. "Now, sir," said Japp, turning briskly to John, "I should like to see the lady's bedroom, please, and after that I'll have a little chat with the servants. Don't you bother about anything. Mr. Poirot, here, will show me the way."
Then some whim seized me to enter the store through my bedroom window. It was open, and I crawled softly in to find the room fresh and clean from Zeeta's care. The door was ajar, and, hearing voices, I peeped into the shop. Japp was sitting on the counter talking in a low voice to a big native the same 'Mwanga whom I had bundled out unceremoniously.
Japp, who is in charge, is an old man now and past his best, but he has been long with the firm, and we don't want to hurt his feelings. When he goes, which must be pretty soon, you'll have a good chance of the place, if you show yourself an active young fellow. He told me a great deal more about Blaauwildebeestefontein, principally trading details.
See, then, my good Japp, you go at once to Styles?" "Well, in about half an hour. We're seeing the Coroner and the doctor first." "Good. Call for me in passing the last house in the village. I will go with you. At Styles, Mr. Inglethorp will give you, or if he refuses as is probable I will give you such proofs that shall satisfy you that the case against him could not possibly be sustained.
"Not unless our friend Japp has taken leave of his senses," replied Poirot placidly. "But but I thought you thought so too?" Poirot gave me one look, which conveyed a wondering pity, and his full sense of the utter absurdity of such an idea. "Do you mean to say," I asked, slowly adapting myself to the new idea, "that Dr. Bauerstein is a spy?" Poirot nodded. "Have you never suspected it?"
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