ushed them before him down
the tunnel towards the distillery.

Inspector Willis waited until he judged the other would be out of sight,
then left his hiding-place and cautiously returned to the pump-room. The
gauge now showed 1,125 gallons, and he noted that 125 gallons was,
put up per trip. He rapidly ascended the steps, passed out through the
wardrobe, and regained the bedroom. A few minutes later he was once more
out on the railway.

He had glanced at his watch in the building and found that it was but
little after ten. Benson must therefore have returned by an earlier
train than usual. Again the inspector congratulated himself that events
had turned out as they had, for though he would have had no fear of his
personal safety had he been seen, premature discovery might have allowed
the other members of the gang to escape.

The last train for Hull having left, he started to walk the six miles to
the city. The weather had still further changed for the worse, and now
half a gale of wind whirled round him in a pandemonium of sound and blew
blinding squalls of rain into his eyes. In a few moments he was soaked
to the skin, and the buffeting of the wind made his progress slow. But
he struggled on, too well pleased by the success of his evening's work
to mind the discomfort.

And as he considered the affair on the following morning he felt even
more satisfied. He had indeed done well! Not only had he completed
what he set out to do--to discover the murderer of Coburn--but he had
accomplished vastly more. He had brought to light one of the greatest
smuggling conspiracies of modern times. It was true he had not followed
up and completed the case against the syndicate, but this was not his
business. Smuggling was not dealt with by Scotland Yard. It was a matter
for the Customs Department. But if only it had been forged notes! He
heaved a sigh as he thought of the kudos which might have been his.

But when he had gone so far, he thought he might as well make certain
that the brandy was discharged as he imagined. He calculated that the
Girondin would reach Ferriby on the following day, and he determined to
see the operation carried out.

He followed the plan of Hilliard and Merriman to the extent of hiring a
boat in Hull and sculling gently down towards the wharf as dusk fell. He
had kept a watch on the river all day without seeing the motor ship go
up, but now she passed him a couple of miles above the city. He turned
in