"'Umph!" he said again, and there was a note in his voice which made van Heerden look at him quickly. "This country hasn't done very much for you," he sneered. "And I haven't done much for this country--yet," countered the other. The doctor laughed. "You're turning into a patriot in your old age," he said. "Something like that," said Milsom easily. "There used to be a fellow at Portland--you have probably run across him--a clever crook named Homo, who used to be a parson before he got into trouble." "I never met the gentleman, and talking of parsons," he said, looking at his watch, "our own padre is late. But I interrupted you." "He was a man whose tongue I loathed, and he hated me poisonously," said Milsom, with a little grimace, "but he used to say that patriotism was the only form of religion which survived penal servitude. And I suppose that's the case. I hate the thought of putting this country in wrong." "You'll get over your scruples," said the other easily. "You are putting yourself in right, anyway. Think of the beautiful time you're going to have, my friend." "I think of nothing else," said Milsom, "but still----" He shook his head. Van Heerden had taken up the paper he had brought down and was reading it, and Milsom noted that he was perusing the produce columns. "When do we make a start?" "Next week," said the doctor. "I want to finish up the Paddington factory and get away." "Where will you go?" "I shall go to the Continent," replied van Heerden, folding up the paper and laying it on the table. "I can conduct operations from there with greater ease. Gregory goes to Canada. Mitchell and Samps have already organized Australia, and our three men in India will have ready workers." "What about the States?" "That has an organization of its own," Van Heerden said; "it is costing me a lot of money. All the men except you are at their stations waiting for the word 'Go.' You will take the Canadian supplies with you." "Do I take Bridgers?" Van Heerden shook his head. "I can't trust that fool. Otherwise he would be an ideal assistant for you. Your work is simple. Before you leave I will give you a sealed envelope containing a list of all our Canadian agents. You will also find two code sentences, one of which means 'Commence operations,' and the other, 'Cancel all instructions and destroy apparatus.'" "Will the latter be necessary?" asked Milsom. "It may be, though it is very unlikely. But I must provide against all contingencies. I have made the organization as simple as possible. I have a chief agent in every country, and on receipt of my message by the chief of the organization, it will be repeated to the agents, who also have a copy of the code." "It seems too easy," said Milsom. "What chance is there of detection?"