"Ah, now, that’s better, to be sure! How did ’ee get ’em?" asked Wilkins, pocketing the notes with a pleased smile. "An Irishman wanted to get to the camp in a hurry. He happened to be polite, so I drove him up in my road yacht. As a matter of fact, we passed the other fellow in his car: he had picked up your mayor, and I gathered he was a business rival of the Irishman. I wasn’t sorry we beat him; his big ends dropped off, as I warned him." Eves noticed that Wilkins’s face grew more and more glum as Templeton was speaking, and remembered the telephone call he had answered. "The Irishman was so pleased that he offered me five pounds," Templeton went on, "but I thought two pounds was a fair charge." "Then dang me if you ain’t done me out of three pounds!" cried the man, irritably. "Did any one ever hear the likes of refusing good money when ’twas offered free? Done me out of three pounds—_three_ pounds, look ’ee, as ought to have been in my pocket! Done me out of it, you have!" Eves felt that this outburst was not wholly due to Templeton’s moderation in charging. "Well, Mr. Wilkins," said Templeton, quietly, "I’m sorry you’re not satisfied. Perhaps we had better part." "I don’t say that," said Wilkins, calming himself with an effort. "You’re a gentleman, that’s where ’tis, and not bred up to understand business. I’ll say no more—let it bide—but another time don’t ’ee go and refuse good money; that’s business. Well, I’m off up along to the town; know where I can get some petrol on the quiet; that’s business too. I’ll be back afore long." "You keep queer company, old man!" said Eves, when Wilkins was out of ear-shot. "He’s trying at times, I confess—a rough diamond," said Templeton. "But I think he’s sound." "I wonder! Somebody wanted him to give Noakes a tip, you remember. He must be very well in with Noakes, and that’s suspicious in itself. His face was as long as a fiddle when you told him O’Reilly got in ahead of Noakes." "Well, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Now, I’ve got to make a new crank pin for a motor cycle that was brought in for repair this morning. It’ll take me some time, and I don’t want to keep you hanging about. Why not go into the town and have a look round?" "Righto. What time do you knock off?" "Five." "I’ll call for you, then. So long!" At half-past four, when Eves returned, the workshop was lighted by the two oil lamps which were its only illumination. Templeton had just finished his work, and was washing his hands at the sink.