"I know what your conversation was, very well," he answered. "Soapy William wouldn’t tire himself talking to you kids for fun. Did you give him any money?"
In this insolent way the policeman dared to talk of Baden-Powell’s brother!
"His name is not Soapy William," answered Travers, who had turned red with anger, "and he’s got no use for policemen, anyway."
"No, you take your dying oath he hasn’t," said the policeman. "If he told you that, he’s broke the record and told you the truth. Did you give him money, or only a fag?’
"We lent him money for a private purpose, and I’ll thank you to let us pass," said Travers minor.
"He’s as slippery as an eel," he said, "and I’ve been waiting to cop him red-’anded for a fortnight. So now you’d better come and overtake him, for he’s lame and can only crawl along. And when I talk to him, you’ll be surprised."
"You’re utterly wrong," Travers minor told the policeman. "You’re quite on the wrong scent, and if you interfere with that man, you’ll very likely ruin your own career in the Force. He’s much more powerful than you think."
But the policeman said he’d chance that, and then, in the name of the law, he made us come and help him.
It was a most curious experience. When we got there, the spy had disappeared, and the policeman, knowing that he could only go about one mile an hour, said he must be hidden somewhere near.
"And if you chaps are any good as scouts, now’s your chance to show it," he said.
By this time I began to believe the policeman, for he was a big man and very positive in his speech; but Travers hated him, and if he’d found the spy, I believe he would have said nothing. But I found him, or, rather, I found his boot. He had, no doubt, seen us stopped by the policeman, and then hastened to evade capture. There was a haystack in a field, and he had gone to it, and on one side, where it was cut open, there was a lot of loose hay, and he had concealed himself with the utmost cunning, all but one boot. This I observed just peeping out from a litter of loose hay, and not feeling equal to making the capture myself, I pretended I had not seen the boot, and went off and told the policeman, who was hunting some distance off, and also eating blackberries while he hunted.