“Stratagems!” said Sergeant Farrelly scornfully. “Do you call them stratagems?” “How would it be,” said Constable Cole, “if you was to go in to her and tell her that it was Constable Moriarty that was to go with the sergeant to Rosivera?” “I dislike telling gratuitous and entirely useless lies,” said Mr. Goddard. “She simply wouldn’t believe me.” “She’d believe Moriarty,” said Cole. “She has a great wish for Moriarty since the day he took her for a drive on Jimmy O’Loughlin’s car. If Moriarty was to go in as soon as ever you were done telling her, and was to say he’d be glad if she’d go along with him----” “I couldn’t say the like to a young lady,” said Moriarty. “I’d be ashamed.” “Be quiet, Moriarty,” said Mr. Goddard. “And let’s hear the rest of the stratagem.” “And if he was to say at the same time----” said Cole. “If who was to say?” asked Lord Manton. “I’m getting mixed.” “Constable Moriarty,” said Cole; “if he was to say that it would be a pleasure to him to go round to the yard and get her bicycle for her the way she’d be ready to go with him and the sergeant----” “I see,” said Lord Manton. “She’d go with him to the yard,” said Mr. Goddard. “Don’t forget that.” “She would,” said Cole, “and on the way there she’d see Moriarty’s bicycle and another, as it might be the sergeant’s.” “But of course it wouldn’t be the sergeant’s,” said Lord Manton. “It would not. The sergeant and myself might be off by that time a good bit along the road to Rosivera. But the bicycle she’d see would have a look about it as if it might be the sergeant’s. It could have his cape strapped on it and maybe his name somewhere about so as she’d notice it.” “It’s just possible,” said Mr. Goddard, “that if she has the sort of confidence you say she has in Moriarty she’ll be taken in for five minutes; but at the end of that time she’ll be off after you.” “I wouldn’t wonder,” said Cole, “but the back tyre of her own bicycle might be flat.” He looked at Jimmy O’Loughlin as he spoke. His face was entirely devoid of any expression, but Jimmy was a man of quick wit. “Bridgy?” he said. “Bridgy’d do,” he said. “Do what?” said Lord Manton. “I’m getting mixed again.” “With the blade of a knife?” said Jimmy O’Loughlin. “That, or a three-pronged fork,” said Cole, “unbeknown to any but herself.” “It could be done,” said Jimmy O’Loughlin, “and Bridgy’s the girl for the job.” “Constable Moriarty,” said Cole, “would offer to mend it for her, while they’d be waiting for the sergeant, who’d be down at the barrack getting the handcuffs.” “Oiling them,” said Lord Manton. “Oiling or such,” said Cole. “Where’s the use of oiling handcuffs?” said the sergeant. “Shut up, sergeant,” said Mr. Goddard. “That’s part of the stratagem.” “Constable Moriarty,” said Cole, “would be talking to her pleasant and agreeable the way he’d distract her mind and him mending the tyre. It’s himself knows how to talk to a young lady.”