of organization were completed, when the Saint was relaxing briefly over a parting glass of sherry, and Mr Uniatz was placidly sluicing his arid tonsils with a fresh bottle of Scotch. Patricia glanced through the
'Your friend Hogsbotham is still in the news,' she said. 'He's leading a deputation from the National Society for the Preservation of Public Morals to demonstrate outside the London Casino this evening before the dinnertime show. So it looks as if the coast will be clear for you at Chertsey.'
'Probably he heard that Simon was thinking of paying him another call, and hustled himself out of the way like a sensible peaceloving citizen,' said Peter Quentin, who had arrived shortly before that. 'If I'd known what I was going to be dragged into before I answered the telephone, I'd have gone off and led a demonstration somewhere myself.'
The Saint grinned.
'We must really do something about Hogsbotham, one of these days,' he said.
It was curious that that adventure had begun with Mr Hogsbotham, and had just led back to Mr Hogsbotham; and yet he still did not dream how importantly Mr Hogsbotham was still to be concerned.
IX
THE HIRONDEL'S headlights played briefly over the swinging sign of the Three Horseshoes, in Laleham, and swung off to the left on a road that turned towards the river. In a few seconds they were lighting up the smooth grey water and striking dull reflections from a few cars parked dose to the bank; and then they blinked out as Simon pulled the car close to the grass verge and set the handbrake.
'Get him out, darling,' he said over his shoulder.
He stepped briskly out from behind the wheel; and Hoppy Uniatz, who had been sitting beside him, slid into his place. The Saint waited a moment to assure himself that Angela Lindsay was having go trouble with the fourth member of the party; and then he leaned over the side and spoke close to Hoppy's ear.
'Well,' he said, 'do you remember it all?'
'Sure, I remember it,' said Mr Uniatz confidently. He paused to refresh himself from the bottle he was still carrying, and replaced the cork with an air of reluctance. 'It's in de bag,' he said, with the pride of knowing what he was talking about.
'Mind you don't miss the turning, like we did last night, and for God's sake try not to have any kind of noise. You'll have to manage without headlights, too—someone might notice them... . Once you've got the Beef Trust there, Pat'll take care of keeping them busy. I don't want you to pay any attention to anything except watching for the ungodly and passing the tip to her.'
'Okay, boss.'
The Saint looked round again. Verdean was out of the car.
'On your way, then.'
He stepped back. The gears meshed, and the Hirondel swung round in a tight semicircle and streaked away towards the main road.
Angela Lindsay stared after it, and caught the Saint's sleeve with sudden uncertainty. Her eyes were wide in the gloom.
'What's that for? Where is he going?'
'To look after our alibi,' Simon answered truthfully. 'Anything may happen here tonight, and you don't know Teal's nasty suspicious mind as well as I do. I'm pretty sure we shook off our shadows in Walton, but there's no need to take any chances.'
She was looking about her uneasily.
'But
