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anybody； any restless sleeper； had chosen just that moment to wander to
the window and look out into the night。 There's still plenty of moonlight；
Bill。 Is he going to walk across the park in the moonlight； with all those
windows staring at him？ Not if he can help it。 But he can get out by
the bowling green； and then come to the pond without ever being in sight
of the house； at all。〃
〃You're right。 And that will just about give us time。 Good。 Now；
what's the next thing？〃
〃The next thing is to mark the exact place in the pond where he drops
whatever he drops。〃
〃So that we can fish it out again。〃
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The Red House Mystery
〃If we can see what it is； we shan't want to。 The police can have a go
at it to…morrow。 But if it's something we can't identify from a distance；
then we must try and get it out。 To see whether it's worth telling the
police about。〃
〃Y … yes；〃 said Bill； wrinkling his forehead。 〃Of course； the trouble
with water is that one bit of it looks pretty much like the next bit。 I don't
know if that had occurred to you。
〃It had；〃 smiled Antony。 〃Let's come and have a look at it。〃
They walked to the edge of the copse； and lay down there in silence；
looking at the pond beneath them。
〃See anything？〃 said Antony at last。
〃What？〃
〃The fence on the other side。〃
〃What about it？〃
〃Well； it's rather useful； that's all。〃
〃Said Sherlock Holmes enigmatically；〃 added Bill。 〃A moment later；
his friend Watson had hurled him into the pond。〃
Antony laughed。
〃I love being Sherlocky；〃 he said。 〃It's very unfair of you not to play
up to me。
〃Why is that fence useful； my dear Holmes？〃 said Bill obediently。
〃Because you can take a bearing on it。 You see 〃
〃Yes； you needn't stop to explain to me what a bearing is。〃
〃I wasn't going to。 But you're lying here〃 he looked up 〃underneath
this pine…tree。 Cayley comes out in the old boat and drops his parcel in。
You take a line from here on to the boat； and mark it off on the fence there。
Say it's the fifth post from the end。 Well； then I take a line from my tree
we'll find one for me directly and it comes on to the twentieth post； say。
And where the two lines meet； there shall the eagles be gathered together。
Q。E。D。 And there； I almost forgot to remark； will the taller eagle；
Beverley by name； do his famous diving act。 As performed nightly at the
Hippodrome。〃
Bill looked at him uneasily。
〃I say； really？ It's beastly dirty water； you know。〃
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The Red House Mystery
〃I'm afraid so； Bill。 So it is written in the book of Jasher。〃
〃Of course I knew that one of us would have to； but I hoped； well； it's
a warm night。〃
〃Just the night for a bathe；〃 agreed Antony； getting up。 〃Well now；
let's have a look for my tree。〃
They walked down to the margin of the pond and then looked back。
Bill's tree stood up and took the evening； tall and unmistakable； fifty feet
nearer to heaven than its neighbours。 But it had its fellow at the other
end of the copse； not quite so tall； perhaps； but equally conspicuous。
〃That's where I shall be；〃 said Antony； pointing to it。 〃Now； for the
Lord's sake； count your posts accurately。〃
〃Thanks very much； but I shall do it for my own sake；〃 said Bill with
feeling。 〃I don't want to spend the whole night diving。〃
〃Fix on the post in a straight line with you and the splash； and then
count backwards to the beginning of the fence。〃
〃Right； old boy。 Leave it to me。 I can do this on my head。〃
〃Well； that's how you will have to do the last part of it；〃 said Antony
with a smile。
He looked at his watch。 It was nearly time to change for dinner。 They
started to walk back to the house together。
〃There's one thing which worries me rather；〃 said Antony。 〃Where
does Cayley sleep？〃
〃Next door to me。 Why？〃
〃Well； it's just possible that he might have another look at you after
he's come back from the pond。 I don't think he'd bother about it in the
ordinary way； but if he is actually passing your door； I think he might
glance in。〃
〃I shan't be there。 I shall be at the bottom of the pond； sucking up
mud。〃
〃Yes。。。。 Do you think you could leave something in your bed that
looked vaguely like you in the dark？ A bolster with a pyjama…coat round
it； and one arm outside the blanket； and a pair of socks or something for
the head。 You know the kind of thing。 I think it would please him to
feel that you were still sleeping peacefully。〃
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The Red House Mystery
Bill chuckled to himself。
〃Rather。 I'm awfully good at that。 I'll make him up something
really good。 But what about you？〃
〃I'm at the other end of the house； he's hardly likely to bother about me
a second time。 And I shall be so very fast asleep at his first visit。 Still； I
may as well to be on the safe side。〃
They went into the house。 Cayley was in the hall as they came in。 He
nodded； and took out his watch。
〃Time to change？〃 he said。
〃Just about；〃 said Bill。
〃You didn't forget my letter？〃
〃I did not。 In fact； we had tea there。〃
〃Ah！〃 He looked away and said carelessly； 〃How were they all？〃
〃They sent all sorts of sympathetic messages to you； and and all that
sort of thing。〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
Bill waited for him to say something more； and then； as nothing was
coming； he turned round； said； 〃Come on； Tony；〃 and led the way upstairs。
〃Got all you want？〃 he said at the top of the stairs。
〃I think so。 Come and see me before you go down。〃
〃Righto。〃
Antony shut his bedroom door behind him and walked over to the
window。 He pushed open a casement and looked out。 His bedroom was
just over the door at the back of the house。 The side wall of the office；
which projected out into the lawn beyond the rest of the house； was on his
left。 He could step out on to the top of the door； and from there drop
easily to the ground。 Getting back would be little more difficult。 There
was a convenient water…pipe which would help。
He had just finished his dressing when Bill came in。 〃Final
instructions？〃 he asked； sitting down on the bed。 〃By the way； how are
we amusing ourselves after dinner？ I mean immediately after dinner。〃
〃Billiards？〃
〃Righto。 Anything you like。〃
〃Don't talk too loud；〃 said Antony in a lower voice。 〃We're more or
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The Red House Mystery
less over the hall； and Cayley may be there。〃 He led the way to the
window。 〃We'll go out this way to…night。 Going downstairs is too risky。
It's easy enough； better put on tennis…shoes。〃
〃Right。 I say； in case I don't get another chance alone with you what
do I do when Cayley comes to tuck me up？〃 〃It's difficult to say。 Be as
natural as you can。 I mean； if he just knocks lightly and looks in； be
asleep。 Don't overdo the snoring。 But if he makes a hell of a noise；
you'll have to wake up and rub your eyes； and wonder what on earth he's
doing in your room at all。 You know the sort of thing。〃
〃Right。 And about the dummy figure。 I'll make it up directly we
come upstairs； and hide it under the bed。〃
〃Yes。。。。 I think we'd better go completely