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My God! What shall we do?"

Get busy, and go after her! Right now! There's no time to waste. It's almighty

luck that she didn't take the wire with her. If she had we'd probably never have

traced her. But we've got to hustle. Where's that Bradshaw?"

The energy of Julius was infectious. Left to himself, Tommy would probably have

sat down to think things out for a good half-hour before he decided on a plan of

action. But with Julius Hersheimmer about, hustling was inevitable.

After a few muttered imprecations he handed the Bradshaw to Tommy as being

more conversant with its mysteries. Tommy abandoned it in favour of an A.B.C.

Here we are. Ebury, Yorks. From King's Cross. Or St. Pancras. (Boy must have

made a mistake. It was King's Cross, not CHARING Cross.) 12.50, that's the train

she went by. 2.10, that's gone. 3.20 is the next--and a damned slow train too."

What about the car?"

Tommy shook his head.

Send it up if you like, but we'd better stick to the train. The great thing is to keep

calm."

Julius groaned.

That's so. But it gets my goat to think of that innocent young girl in danger!"

Tommy nodded abstractedly. He was thinking. In a moment or two, he said:

I say, Julius, what do they want her for, anyway?"

Eh? I don't get you?"

What I mean is that I don't think it's their game to do her any harm," explained

Tommy, puckering his brow with the strain of his mental processes. "She's a

hostage, that's what she is. She's in no immediate danger, because if we tumble

on to anything, she'd be damned useful to them. As long as they've got her,

they've got the whip hand of us. See?"

"Sure thing," said Julius thoughtfully. "That's so."

170

The Secret Adversary