said. "I found
the door ajar and so came in. You see the publishing season is
beginning, and our regular binders are full of work, so that we have to
look elsewhere. Good-day!"

"Good-day," the keen man responded, turning to allow me to pass through
the door. "I'm sorry I cannot be of service to you--on this occasion."

From first to last his eyes had never ceased to search me, and now as I
descended the stairs I could _feel_ that they were fixed on me still.

I took a turn about the houses, in order not to be observed going
direct to "The Compasses," and entered that house by way of the private
bar, as before.

"That is Mayes, and no other," said Plummer, when I had made my report
and described the man with the eyes. "I've seen him twice, once with his
beard and once without. The question now is, whether we hadn't best sail
in straight away and collar him. But there's the window at the back, and
a ladder, I think you said. Can he reach it?"

"I think he might--easily."

"And perhaps there's the roof, since he's got the top floor too. Not
good enough without some men to surround the house. We must go gingerly
over this. One thing to find out is, what is the building behind? Ah,
how I wish Mr. Hewitt were here now! If we don't hear from him soon we
must send a message. But we mustn't lose sight of No. 8 for a moment."

There was a thump at the sitting-room door, and Mr. Moon came puffing in
and shouldered himself confidentially against Plummer. "Bloke downstairs
wants to see you," he said, in a hoarse grunt that was meant for a low
whisper. "Twigged you outside, I think, an' says he's got somethink
partickler to tell yer. I believe 'e's a 'nark'; I see him with one o'
your chaps the other day."

"I'll go," Plummer said to me hurriedly. "Plainly somebody's spotted me
in the street, and I may as well hear him."

I knew very well, of course, what Moon meant by a 'nark.' A 'nark'
is an informer, a spy among criminals who sells the police whatever
information he can scrape up. Could it be possible that this man had
anything to tell about Mayes? It was scarcely likely, and I made up my
mind that Plummer was merely being detained by some tale of a petty
local crime.

But in a few minutes he returned with news of import. "This fellow is
most valuable," he said. "He knows a lot about Mayes, whom, of course,
he calls by another name; but the identity's certain. He saw me looking
in at No. 8, he says, and guessed I must