"Yes, but that's nothing against him."

"Of course it isn't! But this Graves is the biggest and oldest
chap in our troop -- he isn't in our patrol. And he thought that
if any of us were going to be chosen for special service, he ought
to have the first chance. So when they picked Harry and me, he
began talking about Harry's being an American. He tried to act as
if he thought it wasn't safe for anyone who wasn't English to be
picked out!"

"It looks as if he had acted on that idea, too, doesn't it, then?
It seems to me that he has followed you down here, just to get a
chance to play some trick on you. He got those papers, you see.
And I fancy you'll be blamed for losing them."

"How did he know we were here?" said Dick, suddenly. "That's what
I'd like to know!"

"Yes, it would be a good thing to find that out," said Jack,
thoughtfully. "Well, it will be hard to do. But we might find
out how he got here. I know this village and the country all
around here pretty well. And Gaffer Hodge will know, if anyone
does. He's the most curious man in the world. Come on -- we'll
see what he has to say."

"Who is he?" asked Dick, as they began to walk briskly toward the
village.

"You went through the village this afternoon, didn't you? Didn't
you see a very old man with white hair and a stick beside him,