sneaking in, he did, this afternoon as ever was! Been up to the
big house at Bray Park, he had. Came in an automobile, he did.
Then he went back there. But he was in the post office when you
and t'other young lad from Lunnon went by, maister," nodding his
head as if well pleased. This was to Dick, and he and Jack stared
at one another. Certainly their visit to Gaffer Hodge had paid
them well.

"Are you sure of that, Gaffer?" asked Jack, quietly. "Sure that
it was an automobile from Bray Park?"

"Sure as ever was!" said the old man, indignantly. Like all old
people, he hated anyone to question him, resenting the idea that
anyone could think he was mistaken. "Didn't I see the machine
myself -- a big grey one, with black stripes as ever was, like all
their automobiles?"

"That's true -- that's the way their cars are painted, and they
have five or six of them," said Jack.

"Yes. And he come in the car from Lunnon before he went there --
and then he come out here. He saw you and t'other young lad from
Lunnon go by, maister, on your bicycles. He was watching you from
the shop as ever was."

"Thank you, Gaffer," said Jack, gravely. "You've told us just
what we wanted to know. I'll bring you some tobacco in the
morning, if you like. My father's just got a new lot down from
London."