The Colonel was not in, the maid-servant informed them. He had gone out after ten on foot and had not yet returned. Mr. Bathurst thanked her, and in the circumstances would put the “Bentley” into the garage if she would see that it was unlocked for him! Peter ran it in as smoothly and in as businesslike a manner as possible. “Yours too, Mr. Stewart,” instructed Anthony. “You’re leaving it here to-night—you know—and completing the rest of the journey with us on foot!” Stewart looked a little bewildered, but by this time had become quite prepared to obey Mr. Bathurst’s orders without asking too many questions. “If we walk smartly,” declared Goodall, “we ought to be there by a quarter to eleven, and that’s quite late enough in my opinion. . . . Step it out, gentlemen, until I give the word to stop you.” The four were quickly into their stride—Peter Daventry wondering where it was all going to end. He put his hand in the pocket of his coat and felt the butt of his revolver. He was prepared, at any rate, should it turn out to be a “rough house.” Old Bathurst evidently thought it might by his references to the revolver. He jerked at Anthony’s sleeve. “That’s the second mile-stone since we started—another quarter of an hour or so ought to bring us pretty close to the Lodge.” Anthony nodded, and for the next ten minutes or thereabouts the little party walked in silence. Suddenly Goodall, who was leading, stopped, and turning in his tracks, approached the others. “We’re just on there,” he whispered, “and we must all keep very quiet. Is there anything more you want seen to, Mr. Bathurst?” “How many men have you posted round the house, Goodall?” asked Anthony. “Half a dozen. Every point is well watched—I’ve seen to that!” “Better make sure they’re there before we do anything,” suggested Anthony. “Wait, then,” snapped Goodall. He was soon back. “All O. K.,” he declared very quietly. “What I propose, then, is this—we four will keep well away from the entrance that leads to the front of the house on the Assynton side. We’ll climb the garden wall at the back—we shall come to it first, approaching from this direction, and once inside the grounds we’ll take cover—somewhere near the rock garden say. We oughtn’t to stand much chance of being spotted round there.” He looked up at the sky. “The moon’s in our favor!” Goodall appeared to be considering the plan very carefully. “Yes,” he said, after a pause, “I don’t think we can do very much better than that. I’ll go and have another word with Sergeant Clegg and wait for you under the shadow of the wall.” He was as good as his word, and shortly afterwards the four figures dropped silently from the wall and stealthily made their way nearer to the house. Not a glimmer of light showed, and the dim foreboding that the night was destined to produce nothing sensational smote Anthony for a brief moment. Then his reason reasserted itself and he shook off the idea of failure.