"Yes, I--But--I say--look!" cried the old man, starting forward, and craning his neck towards the window. "Why, if there ain't that there Judd, the coastguard petty-officer from Chapel Point again! An' he's a-comin' across 'ere too." "I'll get into the bedroom," whispered Rodwell, rising instantly, and bending as he passed the window, so as not to be seen. "Get rid of him--get rid of him as soon as ever you can." "'E's got a gentleman with him," old Tom added. "Don't breathe a word that I'm here," urged the spy, and then, slipping into the stuffy little bedroom, he closed the door and turned the key. Afterwards he stood listening eagerly for the arrival of the visitors. In a few moments there was a loud knocking on the tarred door, and, with a grunt, Tom rose to open it. "Hulloa, Tom!" cried the petty-officer of the coastguard cheerily. "'Morning! How are you?" "Oh! pretty nicely, Muster Judd--if it warn't for my confounded rheumatics. An' now, to cap it all, I've got my girl laid up 'ere very bad. She only got 'ome last night." "Oh!" exclaimed Mr Judd. "But I thought you had a gentleman visitor this morning?" "Gentleman visitor? Yes. I've 'ad the doctor to my girl--a visitor I've got to pay--if that's what you mean. She's been awful bad all night, an' Ted's now gone into Skegness for some med'cine for 'er." The man who accompanied the coastguard-officer remarked: "This is a lonely house of yours, Mr Small. A long way from the doctor--eh?" "It is, sir, an' no mistake. We don't see many people out 'ere, except Mr Judd, or Mr Bennett--or one o' the men on patrol." Then, being compelled to ask the pair inside, for it had started to rain heavily, Tom Small sat with them chatting, yet full of wonder why they had called at that early hour. The man in the next room stood breathless behind the door, listening to all their conversation. It was quite plain that he had been seen to enter there, whereupon the coastguard's suspicions had been aroused. He scented considerable danger. Yet his adventurous spirit was such that he smiled amusedly at old Small's story of his sick daughter, and of the visit of the doctor. Judd, seated in the chair which Rodwell had occupied until he had vacated it in alarm, suddenly turned to old Tom, and said: "This gentleman here is my superior officer, Tom, and he wants to ask you something, I think." "Yes, sir, what is it?" asked the crafty old fisherman, turning to the man in plain clothes. "You had a visitor here last Thursday--a gentleman. Who was he?" asked the stranger suddenly. "Last Thursday," repeated Small reflectively. "Now let me see. Who came 'ere last Thursday? Weren't we both out fishin'? No," he added: "I know! Yes, we did 'ave someone come--Mr Jennings, of course." "And who is Mr Jennings?" "Why, 'e comes regularly from Lincoln for our insurances." The petty-officer exchanged meaning glances with his superior, who then asked--