n my discovery in the early morning and the
appearance of this cyclist at the very place which I had thought would
be the last where they would seek me, the rest of the island had
probably been searched and the hue and cry had died down by this time.
So for some time I ought to be fairly safe anywhere: until, in fact, my
pursuer had reached a telegraph office, and other scouts had then been
collected and sent out. And if my man was an average human being, he
would certainly waste a lot of precious time in trying to pump up his
tyres or mend them before giving it up as a bad job and walking to a
telegraph office.

That, in fact, was what he did, for in this open country I was able a
few minutes later to see him in the far distance still stopping by that
loch shore. But though I believe in trusting to chance, I like to give
myself as many chances as possible. I knew where all the telegraph
offices were, and one was a little nearer him than I quite liked. So
half a mile farther on, at a quiet spot on a hill, I jumped off and
swarmed up one of the telegraph-posts by the roadside, and then I took
out of my pocket another happy inspiration. When I came down again,
there was a gap in the wire.

There was now quite a good chance that I might retain my freedom till
night fell, and if I could hold out so long as that--well, we should
see what happened then! But what was to be done in the meantime? A
strong temptation assailed me, and I yielded to it. I should get as
near to my night's rendezvous as possible, and try to find some
secluded spot there. It was not perhaps the very wisest thing to risk
being seen there by daylight and bring suspicion on the neighbourhood
where I meant to spend two or three days; but you will presently see
why I was so strongly tempted. So great, in fact, was the temptation
that till I got there I hardly thought of the risk.

I rode for a little longer through the same kind of undulating,
loch-strewn inland country, and then I came again close to the sea.
But it was not the open sea this time. It was a fairly wide sound that
led from the ocean into a very important place, and immediately I began
to see things. What things they were precisely I may not say, but they
had to do with warfare, with making this sound about as easy for a
hostile ship to get through, whether above the water or below, as a
pane of glass is for a bluebottle. As I rode very leisurely, with my
head half turned roun