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and suddenly pulled it open. To his relief there was nobody outside, nor indeed within sight. Closing it once again, and locking it, he returned to Sir Leonard and, speaking in a low voice, told his story. In Port Said seventeen days before he had, as Sir Leonard already knew, met Henderson by arrangement, and had assisted him to disguise himself as a well-to-do Egyptian. He had given him the address of a compatriot in Cairo, who would afford him shelter and ask no questions, andwhere he would meet him if required. When Wallace had directed Achmet to trace Henderson, he had gone to the house of his friend. From the latter he had obtained the names of certain men, well known as leaders of the extreme party. Keeping a close watch on one of them, he had been lucky enough to be able to worm his way into the man’s house, and there overhear a conversation, which informed him that Henderson was alive and a prisoner. Where his captors were keeping him did not transpire. He learnt, however, that they were starving him, hoping thus to force him to reveal his knowledge of their activities, after which he would be killed. When Achmet had discovered this he sent a telegram in code to Sir Leonard, and had awaited his arrival.
    ‘It is a wonder you are not under suspicion, Achmet,’ commented Wallace. ‘From what I was told last night, I understand that a close watch was being kept on all Englishmen landing in Port Said, as the Nationalists expected men from my department to come out. Probably Henderson was under surveillance from the time he arrived, and he must have been seen to meet you, go with you to your house, and emerge disguised.’
    The Arab shook his head.
    ‘Not so, effendi,’ he replied. ‘Mr Henderson awaited me on the ship whither I went in my capacity as a seller of Turkish delight. It was not difficult to slip down to his cabin, the number of which he had included in the code wireless I had received from him when he was at sea. There I handed him the clothing he had requested, helped to darken his face and hands and afix a moustache, received his instructions, and returned to my goods. He went ashore by himself, and left for Cairo immediately. He had already given instructions for his luggage to be sent to the office of the steamship’s agents, there to await him.’
    ‘I see.’ Sir Leonard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘That sounds as though he took precautions enough. I am afraid I did him the injustice of thinking he had been careless.’
    A sound from the bed caused them both to turn in that direction. Henderson was awake and, although his face was terribly emaciated, he looked better than he had done on his arrival. Wallace hastened to his side, and fed him with toast soaked in tea until he could eat no more. Already a little colour was stealing through the mixture of grime and stain on his cheeks.
    ‘Had a bad time, old chap?’ asked Sir Leonard.
    ‘Pretty bad, sir,’ was the whispered reply. ‘They were starving me to – to force me to tell them what I knew.’
    ‘So Achmet has told me,’ nodded his chief. ‘Do you feel strong enough to tell me what happened?’
    Henderson slowly nodded his head.
    ‘When I came to Cairo,’ he began in such a low voice that Wallace had to lean towards him to hear what he said, ‘I went straight to the house of Achmet’s friend. There by careful inquiries I learnt the names of the ruling spirits of the extreme Nationalist party, and was able to get in touch with one of them. I posed as a merchant from Wady Halfa who had come to Cairo on business, and pretended that I had a deep hatred of the British. I was invited to my new friend’s house, and there was subjected to a thorough cross-examination. My knowledge of the country, and the fluency with which I speak the language, enabled me to answer all questions with ease, and I am convinced I lulled any suspicions he may have had. He refused to discuss the political situation with me, however, but another man