looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Instead of replying Colonel Walton drew from his right-hand pocket
something in a paper bag, such as is used by confectioners. This he
placed upon the table. He then extracted from his other pocket a small
package rolled in newspaper, which he laid beside the paper bag.

John Dene stared at him as if not quite sure of his sanity.

"Perhaps you will open those packets."

With his eyes still on his visitor John Dene picked up the paper bag
and, turning it upside down, shook out upon the table a brown and white
guinea-pig--dead. Dorothy drew back with a little cry.

"This some of your funny work?" demanded John Dene angrily.

"There's still the other parcel," said Colonel Walton, his eyes upon
the small roll done up in newspaper.

Very gingerly John Dene unrolled the paper, Dorothy watching from a
safe distance with wide-eyed curiosity.

"Gee!" he muttered, as a large dead grey rat lay exposed, its upper lip
drawn back from his teeth, giving it a snarling appearance. He looked
interrogatingly at Colonel Walton.

"There; but for the grace of God lies John Dene of Toronto," he
remarked quietly, nodding in the direction of the two rodents.

"Here, what the hell----!" began John Dene, then catching sight of
Dorothy he stopped suddenly.

"Two days ago you ordered for lunch ris de veau and apple tart--among
other things. The rat is the victim of the one, the guinea-pig of the
other."

Dorothy gave a little cry of horror. John Dene looked across at her
quickly, then back to Colonel Walton.

"You mean----" he began.

"That a certain Department has assumed the responsibility of catering
for a distinguished visitor," was the quiet reply. "It is but one of
the pleasant obligations of empire."

John Dene sat gazing at the dead animals as if fascinated. With
distended eyes and slightly parted lips Dorothy looked from the table
to Colonel Walton, and then back to the table again, as if unable to
comprehend the full significance of what was taking place.

"I would suggest," said Colonel Walton, "that you never take food
regularly at any one hotel or restaurant. Avoid being out late at
night, particularly raid-nights."

"Raid-nights!"

"You might be knocked on the head and removed as a casualty."

John Dene nodded, Dorothy gasped.

"Never take food or drink of any sort in your room at the hotel, and
don't travel on the Tube or Underground, at least never stand on