sight, and I soon made out that there
were three separate figures all stooping low and moving with extreme
caution towards the shelter of the trees.

A sudden and irresistible desire to laugh seized hold of me; there
was something so intensely funny about the strategic pains they were
taking, when all the while they might just as well have advanced
boldly across the open marsh. Still it was hardly the time to linger
over the comic side of the affair, so retiring from the window, I
threw a last quick glance round the hut to make quite sure that I had
left nothing I wanted behind. Then walking to the door I opened it and
stepped quietly outside.

I decided that it was impossible to reach the sea-wall without being
seen, so I made no attempt to do so. I just set off in the direction
of the creek, strolling along in the easy, unhurried fashion of a man
taking a morning constitutional.

I had not gone more than ten yards, when from the corner of my eye I
saw three figures break simultaneously out of the plantation. They no
longer made any pretence about their purpose. One of them cut straight
down towards the hut, a second came running directly after me, while
the third started off as rapidly as possible along the road, so as to
head me off if I attempted to escape inland.

Any further strategy on my part appeared to be out of place. I grasped
the position in one hurried glance, and then, buttoning my coat and
ramming down my cap, openly and frankly took to my heels. I heard the
gentlemen behind shout out something which sounded like a request that
I should stop, but I was too occupied to pay much attention. The marsh
was infested with small drains, and one had to keep one's eyes glued
on the ground immediately ahead to avoid coming an unholy purler. That
was the only thing I was afraid of, as I was in excellent condition,
and I have always been a very fair runner.

When I had covered about a couple of hundred yards I looked back over
my shoulder. I expected to find that I had widened the gap, but to my
dismay I discovered that my immediate pursuer had distinctly gained on
me. I could just see that he was a tall, active-looking fellow in a
policeman's uniform, with a long raking stride that was carrying him
over the ground in the most unpleasant fashion. Unless he fell over a
drain and broke his silly neck it seemed highly probable that he would
arrive at the creek almost as soon as I did.

As I ran I prayed fervently