“Towns!” Price exclaimed. “Guess we’re getting on.” “Towns!” Cheyne echoed in his turn. “Then you must have been right, Inspector, about those letters being merely a blind.” “I think so,” French admitted. “Look at it in this way. If only the towns and coast were marked, the shape of England would show too clearly. But adding those letter circles disguises the thing—prevents the shape becoming apparent. Now, I may be wrong, but I am beginning to question very much if this map has anything to do with indicating a position—I mean directly. I am beginning to think it is merely a cipher. Let us test this at all events. Let us write down the names of the towns in the order of the numbers and see if that gives us anything.” He took a sheet of paper, while Price found No. 1 on the photograph and Cheyne identified its position with that of a town on the atlas map. “No. 1,” said Cheyne, “is Salisbury.” French wrote down: “1, Salisbury.” “No. 2,” went on Cheyne, “is Immingham.” “2, Immingham,” wrote French, as he remarked, “Salisbury—Immingham: S—I. That goes all right so far.” The next three towns were Liverpool, Uttoxeter, and Reading, and though none of the men could see where SILUR was leading, it was at least pronounceable. But when the next three letters were added French gave a mighty shout of victory. No. 6 was Ipswich, No. 7 Andover, and No. 8 Nottingham. IAN added to SILUR made Silurian. “_Silurian!_” French cried, striking the table a mighty blow with his clenched fist. “_Silurian!_ That begins to show a light!” The others stared. “Don’t you recognize the name?” went on French. “The _Silurian_ was a big Anchor liner, and she was torpedoed on her way to the States with two and a half millions in gold bars aboard!” The others held their breath and their eyes grew round. “Any of it recovered?” “None: it was in mid-Atlantic.” “But,” stammered Cheyne at last, “I don’t follow—” “I don’t follow myself,” French returned briskly, “but when the cipher which leads to a maritime expedition begins with a wreck with two and a half millions aboard, well then, I say it is suggestive. Come along, let’s read the rest of the thing. We’ll know more then.” With breathless eagerness the other towns were looked up, and at last French’s list read as follows: 1. Salisbury 2. Immingham 3. Liverpool 4. Uttoxeter 5. Reading 6. Ipswich 7. Andover 8. Nottingham 9. Oxford 10. Northampton 11. Evesham 12. Doncaster 13. Exeter 14. Gloucester 15. Ripon 16. Ely 17. Eastbourne 18. Wigan 19. Exmouth 20. Swansea 21. Tonbridge 22. Nuneaton 23. Ilfracombe 24. Newport 25. Eaglescliff 26. Taunton 27. Eastleigh 28. Ebbw Vale 29. Northallerton 30. Folkestone 31. Appleby 32. Tamworth 33. Huntingdon 34. Oldham 35. Middlesborough 36. Southend