on it.

Evening was falling and lights were beginning to twinkle from the
further bank of the river.

We stood for a moment in silence with the river rushing at our feet.
Then we turned and started to tramp back towards the city. Francis
linked his arm in mine.

"And now, Des," he said in his old affectionate way, "tell me some more
about Monica!"

Out of that talk germinated in my head the only plan that seemed to
offer us a chance of escape. I was quite prepared to believe Francis
when he declared that the frontier was at present impassable: if the
vigilance had been increased before it would be redoubled now that I had
again eluded Clubfoot. We should, therefore, have to find some cover
where we could lie doggo until the excitement passed.

You remember that Monica told me, the last time I had seen her, that she
was shortly going to Schloss Bellevue, a shooting-box belonging to her
husband, to arrange some shoots in connection with the Governmental
scheme for putting game on the market. Monica, you will recollect, had
offered to take me with her, and I had fully meant to accompany her but
for Gerry's unfortunate persistence in the matter of my passport.

I now proposed to Francis that we should avail ourselves of Monica's
offer and make for Castle Bellevue. The place was well suited for our
purpose as it lies near Cleves, and in its immediate neighbourhood is
the Reichswald, that great forest which stretches from Germany clear
across into Holland. All through my wanderings, I had kept this forest
in the back of my head as a region which must offer facilities for
slipping unobserved across the frontier. Now I learnt from Francis that
he had spent months in the vicinity of Cleves, and I was not surprised
to find, when I outlined this plan to him, that he knew the Reichswald
pretty well.

"It'll be none too easy to get across through the forest," he said
doubtfully, "it's very closely patrolled, but I do know of one place
where we could lie pretty snug for a day or two waiting for a chance to
make a dash. But we have no earthly chance of getting through at
present: our clubfooted pal will see to that all right. And I don't much
like the idea of going to Bellevue either: it will be horribly dangerous
for Monica!"

"I don't think so," I said. "The whole place will be overrun with
people, guests, servants, beaters and the like, for these shoots. Both
you and I know German and we look rough enough: we ought to be