oned mahogany sideboard with its profuse display of china and
the two long tables covered with red cloths.

[Illustration: PORTIONS OF MAP OF NEW NAVAL BASE AT ROSYTH DISCOVERED IN
POSSESSION OF A SPY.

The notes, here translated from German, were written on the British
Ordnance Map.]

From my boyhood days, I, John James Jacox, barrister-at-law, had always
been fond of detective work; therefore I realised that in the present
inquiry before us there was wide scope for one's reasoning powers, as
well as a great probability of excitement.

I was thoroughly wiping my gold pince-nez, utterly failing to discover
Ray's reason in travelling to that spot now that it was admitted that
the Germans had already outwitted us and secured a copy of at least one
of the plans. Suddenly, glancing up at the cheap American clock on the
mantelshelf, my friend declared that we ought to be moving and at once
struggled into his coat and crushed on his soft felt hat. It then wanted
a quarter to ten o'clock.

In ascending the short, steep hill in the semi-darkness, we passed the
North Queensferry post office, beside which he stopped short to peer
down the dark alley which separated it from the Roxburgh Hotel. I
noticed that in this alley stood a short, stout telegraph-pole, carrying
about sixty or so lines of wire which, coming overhead from the north,
converged at that point into a cable, and crossed to the south beneath
the mile-broad waters of the Forth.

Ray was apparently interested in them, for glancing overhead he saw
another set of wires which, carried higher, crossed the street and ran
away to the left. This road he followed, I walking at his side.

The way we took proved to be a winding one, which, instead of ascending
the steep hill with its many quarries, from the summit of which the
wonderful bridge runs forth, skirted the estuary westward past a number
of small grey cottages, the gardens of some of which appeared to run
down to the broad waters whence shone the flashing light of the Beamer
and those of Dalmeny, the Bridge, and of South Queensferry.

The rain had ceased, and the moon, slowly struggling from behind a big
bank of cloud, now produced a most picturesque effect of light and
shadow.

The actions of Ray Raymond were, however, somewhat mysterious, for on
passing each telegraph-pole he, by the aid of a small electric torch he
carried in his pocket, examined it carefully at a distance of about six
feet from the grou