t I watched the
fellow incessantly, being relieved sometimes by the pretty daughter of
the Admiral Superintendent, whose home was fortunately in the Dockyard.
In all weathers and at all times we watched, but we failed to discover
anything. Ray remained at the hotel impatient and inactive, and I must
admit that more than once I was inclined to believe that he had been
mistaken in his surmises. Leon Karff was, as far as we could discover, a
hard-working foreigner, driven by force of circumstances into adopting
the lowly calling of a greengrocer's assistant. His employer supplied
with fruit and vegetables the officers' messes of several of the ships
in the Dockyard, and on infrequent occasions he drove in the light cart
with his master when on his rounds taking orders.

This round at last he was in the habit of making three times a week.

One Saturday morning, as I was idling along the Hard, I saw Karff and
his master, a man named Mitchell, drive in past the policeman at the
main gate. But though I waited for over three hours to watch their exit,
they did not reappear.

Much surprised at this, I walked round to the Unicorn Gate, at Landport,
where, on making judicious inquiries of the policeman on duty, I learnt
that Mitchell had driven out--but alone! His assistant, he said, had
been sent back on foot with a message through the main gate just when
the dockyard men or "maties," as they are called, were leaving work at
midday.

Now having stood at that gate when the throngs had poured forth, I was
quite certain he had not emerged. But I kept my own counsel, and
returned to Southsea, deep in my own reflections.

On taking counsel with Ray, he at once telephoned to Vera at Admiralty
House, and an hour later we all three discussed the situation, it being
arranged that the Admiral's daughter should contrive to admit us to the
Dockyard that night, when all was quiet, in order that we might
institute a search for the missing German.

Therefore, just before half-past eleven, we halted before the small
private door in the Dockyard wall, used by the Admiral-Superintendent
and his household, and as the clock struck the door opened, revealing
Vera. Next instant we were within the forbidden zone.

The night was frosty and a good deal too bright to suit our purpose.
Vera gave some instructions to her lover, pointing to a row of long,
dark sheds with sloping roofs on the opposite side of the Dockyard,
saying:

"If he's inside,