“Harry did.  He took one look at him and then they started right in fighting.  Harry seemed to be sure that was the thing to do.  If I’d been in his place I’d have tried to arbitrate I think.  This chap Graves was a lot bigger than he.  He was carrying weight for age.  You see, I don’t know yet who Graves is, or why Harry wanted to start fighting him that way.  I’ve been waiting patiently for you to come along, so that you could tell me.”

“He’s a sneak!” declared Dick, vehemently.  “I suppose you know that Harry’s an American, don’t you?”

“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, 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.”