The man snarled, and the bearded man said quietly:
“He would have run no risk of that.”
“Just as you like,” replied Tommy. “I know it’s the fashion to run down
the police. I rather believe in them myself.”
His manner was nonchalant to the last degree. Tommy Beresford was one of
those young Englishmen not distinguished by any special intellectual ability,
but who are emphatically at their best in what is known as a “tight place.”
Their natural diffidence and caution fall from them like a glove. Tommy realized
perfectly that in his own wits lay the only chance of escape, and behind his
casual manner he was racking his brains furiously.
The cold accents of the German took up the conversation:
“Have you anything to say before you are put to death as a spy?”
“Simply lots of things,” replied Tommy with the same urbanity as before.
“Do you deny that you were listening at that door?”
“I do not. I must really apologize–but your conversation was so
interesting that it overcame my scruples.”
“How did you get in?”
“Dear old Conrad here.” Tommy smiled deprecatingly at him. “I hesitate to
suggest pensioning off a faithful servant, but you really ought to have a better
watchdog.”
Conrad snarled impotently, and said sullenly, as the man with the beard
swung round upon him:
“He gave the word. How was I to know?”
“Yes,” Tommy chimed in. “How was he to know? Don’t blame the poor fellow.
His hasty action has given me the pleasure of seeing you all face to face.”
He fancied that his words caused some discomposure among the group, but the
watchful German stilled it with a wave of his hand.
“Dead men tell no tales,” he said evenly.
“Ah,” said Tommy, “but I’m not dead yet!”
“You soon will be, my young friend,” said the German.
An assenting murmur came from the others.
Tommy’s heart beat faster, but his casual pleasantness did not waver.
“I think not,” he said firmly. “I should have a great objection to dying.”
He had got them puzzled, he saw that by the look on his captor’s face.
“Can you give us any reason why we should not put you to death?” asked the
German.
“Several,” replied Tommy. “Look here, you’ve been asking me a lot of
questions. Let me ask you one for a change. Why didn’t you kill me off at once
before I regained consciousness?”
The German hesitated, and Tommy seized his advantage.
“Because you didn’t know how much I knew–and where I obtained that
knowledge. If you kill me now, you never will know.”
But here the emotions of Boris became too much for him. He stepped forward
waving his arms.
“You hell-hound of a spy,” he screamed. “We will give you short shrift.
Kill him! Kill him!”
There was a roar of applause.
“You hear?” said the German, his eyes on Tommy. “What have you to say to
that?”
“Say?” Tommy shrugged his shoulders. “Pack of fools. Let them ask
themselves a few questions. How did I get into this place? Remember what dear
old Conrad said–WITH YOUR OWN PASSWORD, wasn’t it? How did I get hold of that?
You don’t suppose I came up those steps haphazard and said the first thing that
came into my head?”
Tommy was pleased with the concluding words of this speech. His only regret
was that Tuppence was not present to appreciate its full flavour.
“That is true,” said the working man suddenly. “Comrades, we have been
betrayed!”
An ugly murmur arose. Tommy smiled at them encouragingly.
“That’s better. How can you hope to make a success of any job if you don’t
use your brains?”
“You will tell us who has betrayed us,” said the German. “But that shall
not save you–oh, no! You shall tell us all that you know. Boris, here, knows
pretty ways of making people speak!”
“Bah!” said Tommy scornfully, fighting down a singularly unpleasant feeling
in the pit of his stomach. “You will neither torture me nor kill me.”
“And why not?” asked Boris.
“Because you’d kill the goose that lays the golden eggs,” replied Tommy
quietly.
There was a momentary pause. It seemed as though Tommy’s persistent