"My best respects to you, guv'nor," he said. "Glad to see you in Hobkin's Hole Castle--that's here. Queer place for gentlemen to meet in, ain't it? Who are you talking to, says you? My name, guv'-nor--well-known hereabouts--is Zachary Spurge!" "You sent me that note last night?" asked Copplestone, taking a seat and filling his pipe. "How did you get it there--unseen?" "Got a cousin as is odd-job man at the 'Admiral's Arms,'" replied Spurge. "He slipped it in for me. You may ha' seen him there, guv'nor--chap with one eye, and queer-looking, but to be trusted. As I am!--down to the ground." "And what do you want to see me about?" inquired Copplestone. "What's this bit of news you've got to tell?" Zachary Spurge thrust a hand inside his velveteen jacket and drew out a much folded and creased paper, which, on being unwrapped, proved to be the bill which offered a reward for the finding of Bassett Oliver. He held it up before his visitor. "This!" he said. "A thousand pound is a vast lot o' money, guv'nor! Now, if I was to tell something as I knows of, what chances should I have of getting that there money?" "That depends," replied Copplestone. "The reward is to be given to--but you see the plain wording of it. Can you give information of that sort?" "I can give a certain piece of information, guv'nor," said Spurge. "Whether it'll lead to the finding of that there gentleman or not I can't say. But something I do know--certain sure!" Copplestone reflected awhile. "Ill tell you what, Spurge," he said. "I'll promise you this much. If you can give any information I'll give you my word that--whether what you can tell is worth much or little--you shall be well paid. That do?" "That'll do, guv'nor," responded Spurge. "I take your word as between gentlemen! Well, now, it's this here--you see me as I am, here in a cave, like one o' them old eremites that used to be in the ancient days. Why am I here! 'Cause just now it ain't quite convenient for me to show my face in Scarhaven. I'm wanted for poaching, guv'nor--that's the fact! This here is a safe retreat. If I was tracked here, I could make my way out at the back of this hole--there's a passage here--before anybody could climb that rock. However, nobody suspects I'm here. They think--that is, that old devil Chatfield and the police--they think I'm off to sea. However, here I am--and last Sunday afternoon as ever was, I was in Scarhaven! In the wood I was, guv'nor, at the back of the Keep. Never mind what for--I was there. And at precisely ten minutes to three o'clock I saw Bassett Oliver." "How did you know him?" demanded Copplestone.