He never had a chance, for though he was in good trim and had the light, wiry figure of the mountaineer, he hadn’t a quarter of my muscular strength.  Besides, he was wrongly placed, for he had the outside station.  Had he been on the inside he might have toppled me over the edge by his sudden assault.  As it was, I grappled him and forced him to the ground, squeezing the breath out of his body in the process.  I must have hurt him considerably, but he never gave a cry.  With a good deal of trouble I lashed his hands behind his back with the belt of my waterproof, carried him inside the cave and laid him in the dark end of it.  Then I tied his feet with the strap of his own knapsack.  I would have to gag him, but that could wait.

I had still to contrive a plan of action for the night, for I did not know what part he had been meant to play in it.  He might be the messenger instead of the Portuguese Jew, in which case he would have papers about his person.  If he knew of the cave, others might have the same knowledge, and I had better shift him before they came.  I looked at my wrist-watch, and the luminous dial showed that the hour was half past nine.

Then I noticed that the bundle in the corner was sobbing.  It was a horrid sound and it worried me.  I had a little pocket electric torch and I flashed it on Wake’s face.  If he was crying, it was with dry eyes.

‘What are you going to do with me?’ he asked.

‘That depends,’ I said grimly.

’Well, I’m ready.  I may be a poor creature, but I’m damned if I’m afraid of you, or anything like you.’  That was a brave thing to say, for it was a lie; his teeth were chattering.

‘I’m ready for a deal,’ I said.

‘You won’t get it,’ was his answer.  ’Cut my throat if you mean to, but for God’s sake don’t insult me . . .  I choke when I think about you.  You come to us and we welcome you, and receive you in our houses, and tell you our inmost thoughts, and all the time you’re a bloody traitor.  You want to sell us to Germany.  You may win now, but by God! your time will come!  That is my last word to you . . . you swine!’

The hammer stopped beating in my head.  I saw myself suddenly as a blind, preposterous fool.  I strode over to Wake, and he shut his eyes as if he expected a blow.  Instead I unbuckled the straps which held his legs and arms.

‘Wake, old fellow,’ I said, ’I’m the worst kind of idiot.  I’ll eat all the dirt you want.  I’ll give you leave to knock me black and blue, and I won’t lift a hand.  But not now.  Now we’ve another job on hand.  Man, we’re on the same side and I never knew it.  It’s too bad a case for apologies, but if it’s any consolation to you I feel the lowest dog in Europe at this moment.’

He was sitting up rubbing his bruised shoulders.  ‘What do you mean?’ he asked hoarsely.

’I mean that you and I are allies.  My name’s not Brand.  I’m a soldier—­a general, if you want to know.  I went to Biggleswick under orders, and I came chasing up here on the same job.  Ivery’s the biggest German agent in Britain and I’m after him.  I’ve struck his communication lines, and this very night, please God, we’ll get the last clue to the riddle.  Do you hear?  We’re in this business together, and you’ve got to lend a hand.’