gs and arms.

'Wake, old fellow,' I said, 'I'm the worst kind of idiot. I'll eat all
the dirt you want. I'll give you leave to knock me black and blue, and
I won't lift a hand. But not now. Now we've another job on hand. Man,
we're on the same side and I never knew it. It's too bad a case for
apologies, but if it's any consolation to you I feel the lowest dog in
Europe at this moment.'

He was sitting up rubbing his bruised shoulders. 'What do you mean?' he
asked hoarsely.

'I mean that you and I are allies. My name's not Brand. I'm a
soldier--a general, if you want to know. I went to Biggleswick under
orders, and I came chasing up here on the same job. Ivery's the biggest
German agent in Britain and I'm after him. I've struck his
communication lines, and this very night, please God, we'll get the
last clue to the riddle. Do you hear? We're in this business together,
and you've got to lend a hand.'

I told him briefly the story of Gresson, and how I had tracked his man
here. As I talked we ate our supper, and I wish I could have watched
Wake's face. He asked questions, for he wasn't convinced in a hurry. I
think it was my mention of Mary Lamington that did the trick. I don't
know why, but that seemed to satisfy him. But he wasn't going to give
himself away.

'You may count on me,' he said, 'for this is black, blackguardly
treason. But you know my politics, and I don't change them for this.
I'm more against your accursed war than ever, now that I know what war
involves.'

'Right-o,' I said, 'I'm a pacifist myself. You won't get any heroics
about war from me. I'm all for peace, but we've got to down those
devils first.'

It wasn't safe for either of us to stick in that cave, so we cleared
away the marks of our occupation, and hid our packs in a deep crevice
on the rock. Wake announced his intention of climbing the tower, while
there was still a faint afterglow of light. 'It's broad on the top, and
I can keep a watch out to sea if any light shows. I've been up it
before. I found the way two years ago. No, I won't fall asleep and
tumble off. I slept most of the afternoon on the top of Sgurr
Vhiconnich, and I'm as wakeful as a bat now.'

I watched him shin up the face of the tower, and admired greatly the
speed and neatness with which he climbed. Then I followed the crevice
southward to the hollow just below the platform where I had found the
footmarks. There was a big boulder there, which partly shut off the
vie