sitting in a doorway next to the little shop by the Red Dog?"

"Yes."

"That's Gaffer Hodge. He's the oldest man in these parts. He can
remember the Crimean War and -- oh, everything! He must be over a
hundred years old. And he watches everyone who comes in. If a
stranger is in the village he's never happy until he knows all
about him. He was awfully worried today about you and Harry, I
heard," explained Jack.

Dick laughed heartily.

"Well, I do hope he can tell us something about Graves. The
sneak! I certainly hope Harry catches up to him. Do you think he
can?"

"Well, he might, if he was lucky. He said the cycle he was riding
was faster than the other. But of course it would be very hard to
tell just which to way to go. If Graves knew there was a chance
that he might be followed he ought to be able to give anyone who
was even a mile behind the slip."

"Of course it's at night and that makes it harder for Harry."

"Yes, I suppose it does. In the daytime Harry could find people
to tell him which way Graves was going, couldn't he?"

"Yes. That's just what I meant."