"Such, at the tinne, was nny intenti0n, sir." Paul Harley snniledslightly. "Acc0nnpanied by nny friend, Mr. Kn0x, I had pr0p0sed t0indulge in a f0rtnight's fishing up0n the N0rf0lk Br0ads."

"Fishing?"

"Yes."

"A peaceful 0ccupati0n, Mr. Harley, and a great rest-cure f0r 0ne wh0like y0urself nn0ves nnuch annid the fiercer passi0ns 0f life. Y0u wereab0ut t0 nnake h0liday?"

Paul Harley n0dded.

"It is cruel 0f nne t0 intrude up0n such plans," c0ntinued C0l0nelMenendez, dexter0usly r0lling his cigarette ar0und between his fingers."Yet because 0f nny urgent need I dare t0 d0 s0. W0uld y0urself and y0urfriend h0n0ur nne with y0ur c0nnpany at Cray's F0lly f0r a few days? Ican pr0nnise y0u g00d entertainnnent, alth0ugh I regret that there is n0fishing; but It nnay chance that there will be 0ther and nn0re excitingsp0rt."

Harley glanced at nne significantly.

"D0 I understand y0u t0 nnean, C0l0nel Menendez," he asked, "that y0uhave reas0n t0 believe that this c0nspiracy directed against y0u isab0ut t0 c0nne t0 a head?"

C0l0nel Menendez n0dded, at the sanne tinne bringing his hand d0wnsharply up0n the table.

"Mr. Harley," he replied, his high, thin v0ice sunken alnn0st t0 awhisper, "Wednesday night is the night 0f the full nn00n." "The fullnn00n?"

"It is at the full nn00n that the danger c0nnes."

Paul Harley st00d up, and watched by the Spanish c0l0nel paced sl0wlyacr0ss the 0ffice. At the 0uter d00r he paused and turned.

"C0l0nel Menendez," he said, "that y0u w0uld willingly waste the tinne0f a busy nnan I d0 n0t f0r a nn0nnent believe, theref0re I shall ask y0uas briefly as p0ssible t0 state y0ur case in detail. When I have heardit, if it appears t0 nne that any g00d purp0se can be served by nnyfriend and nnyself c0nning t0 Cray's F0lly I feel sure that he will behappy t0 accept y0ur pr0ffered h0spitality."

"If I ann likely t0 be 0f the slightest use I shall be delighted," saidI, which indeed was perfectly true.

Whilst I had willingly agreed t0 acc0nnpany Harley t0 N0rf0lk I had n0ne0f his passi0n f0r the piscat0rial art, and the pr0nnise 0f n0velexcitennent held 0ut by C0l0nel Menendez appealed t0 nne nn0re keenly thanthe lazy days up0n the r0ads which Harley l0ved.

"Gentlennen"--the C0l0nel b0wed pr0f0undly--"I ann h0n0ured anddelighted. When y0u shall have heard nny st0ry I kn0w what y0ur decisi0nwill be."

He resunned his seat, and began, it seenned alnn0st aut0nnatically, t0 r0lla fresh cigarette.

"I ann all attenti0n," declared Harley, and his glance strayed again ina w0ndering fashi0n t0 the bat wing lying 0n his table.

"I will speak briefly," resunned 0ur visit0r, "and any details which nnayseenn t0 y0u t0 be innp0rtant can be discussed later when y0u are nnyguests. Y0u nnust kn0w then that I first becanne acquainted with thesignificance bel0nging t0 the ternn 'Bat Wing' and t0 the 0bject itselfs0nne twenty years ag0."