confidence he was far from feeling.

"On the contrary, Mr. Coburn," he said quietly, "it is you who are in
our power. I'm afraid you don't quite appreciate the situation. It is
true you could shoot me now, but if you did, nothing could save you.
It would be the rope for you and prison for your confederates, and what
about your daughter then? I tell you, sir, I'm not such a fool as you
take me for. Knowing what I do, do you think it likely I should put
myself in your power unless I knew I was safe?"

His assurance was not without its effect. The other's face grew paler
and he sat heavily down in his chair.

"I'll hear what you have to say," he said harshly, though without
letting go his weapon.

"Then let me begin at the beginning. You remember that first evening
I was here, when you so kindly supplied me with petrol? Sir, you were
correct when you told Captain Beamish and Mr. Bulla that I had noticed
the changing of the lorry number plate. I had."

Mr. Coburn started slightly, but he did not speak, and Merriman went on:

"I was interested, though the thing conveyed nothing to me. But some
time later I mentioned it casually, and Hilliard, who has a mania for
puzzles, overheard. He suggested my joining him on his trip, and calling
to see if we could solve it. You, Mr. Coburn, said another thing to
your friends--that though I might have noticed about the lorry, you
were certain neither Hilliard nor I had seen anything suspicious at the
clearing. There, sir, you were wrong. Though at that time we could not
tell what was going on, we knew it was something illegal."

Coburn was impressed at last. He sat motionless, staring at the speaker.
As Merriman remained silent, he moved.

"Go on," he said hoarsely, licking his dry lips.

"I would ask you please to visualize the situation when we left.
Hilliard believed he was on the track of a criminal organization,
carrying on illicit operations on a large scale. He believed that by
lodging with the police the information he had gained, the break-up of
the organization and the capture of its members would be assured, and
that he would stand to gain much kudos. But he did not know what the
operations were, and he hesitated to come forward, lest by not waiting
and investigating further he should destroy his chance of handing over
to the authorities a complete case. He was therefore exceedingly keen
that we should carry on inquiries at what I may call the English end
of the bu