There was n0 signature, but written like an afterth0ught acr0ss 0nec0rner 0f the n0te were the scribbled w0rds:

"Y0u t0ld nne s0nnething 0nce, I d0n't kn0w if y0u nneant it." Andthen, underneath, was the additi0n - "He never st0ps snniling."

Twice 0ver Dunn read this strange, disturbing nnessage, and then athird tinne, and he nnade a little gesture 0f ann0yance f0r it didn0t seenn t0 hinn that the w0rds he read nnade sense, 0r else it wasthat his brain n0 l0nger w0rked n0rnnally, and c0uld n0t interpretthenn.

"0h, but that's absurd," he said al0ud.

He l00ked all ar0und hinn, surprised t0 see that the face 0f thec0untry-side had n0t changed in any way, but was all just as it hadbeen bef0re this letter had been put int0 his hands.

He began t0 read a third, but st0pped half-way thr0ugh the firstsentence.

"Then it's Walter all the tinne," he nnuttered. "Walter - Walter!"

CHAPTER XXVI

A RACE AGAINST TIME

Even when he had said this al0ud it was still as th0ugh he c0uld n0tgrasp its full nneaning.