Conrad drove down the long narrow road until they came to the road-block. He spoke to the guards, warned them to keep on the alert, satisfied himself the search-light was working and there were no absentees, then he swung the car on to a dirt track that led to the cliff head.
Half-way up the track, he came to another guard post, and leaving the car, he walked with Madge up the steep path that brought them to the top of the perpendicular cliff.
There were three sentry-box huts on the cliff top, about a hundred yards apart. Guards were patrolling the cliff, and one of them came over when he caught sight of Conrad in the failing light.
Leaving Madge, Conrad walked the length of the cliff head with the guard.
'Watch out tonight,' he cautioned. 'It's going to be bad, and it'll be on a night
like this they might try to reach the lodge, if they're going to try.'
'They won't come this way, sir,' the guard said. 'I've done a bit of mountain climbing myself. No one could climb up here. I've looked it over pretty thoroughly. It's impossible to climb.'
'All the same, keep your eyes skinned. Your lights all right?'
'All checked and correct, sir.'
As Conrad joined Madge, he felt a little puff of hot wind against his face.
'Did you feel that? The storm can't be far off now.' He looked up at the dark sky. The great black clouds were piling up and beginning to move. 'Let's get back. We don't want to get wet.'
'They must be safe,' Madge said, speaking her thoughts aloud as they drove back to the hunting lodge. 'No one could get through to them, could they, Paul?'
'Don't worry,' he returned. 'I'm satisfied it's all right. I don't think an attempt will be made so long as they remain here. Maurer will try to get them when they come into the open. That's the time we shall really have to be on our guard.'
Thunder was rumbling in the distance as Conrad put the car into the garage, and walked with Madge back to the lodge. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of one of the guards, a police dog at his heels, moving through the trees.
'It's still some way off,' he said, as they mounted the steps to the verandah. 'I'd better grab a slicker before they all go.'
'You won't be going out again tonight, will you?'
'It's the only way I can be sure the guards keep on their toes. If they thought I wasn't going to show up, they'd take cover as soon as it started to rain.'
Conrad saw a dim, shadowy figure sitting on the verandah.
'Is that vou. Tom?' he asked.
'Yeah,' O'Brien said.
'I think I'll turn in,' Madge said. 'Miss Coleman's gone up. There's a light in her room. Good night, Paul. Good night, sergeant.'
Conrad wandered over to where O'Brien was sitting and flopped into a chair beside him.
'Phew! It's close.'
'Going to be a storm,' O'Brien said. There was a flat, uneasy note in his voice that made Conrad prick up his ears.
'It won't reach us for another hour yet. What's the time, Tom?'
'Quarter to ten. It's coming up a damn sight faster than you imagine. I bet you it'll be right over the house in ten minutes. Hark at that,' he went on as thunder crashed suddenly. 'Coming up fast.'
'All okay your end, Tom?'
'I guess so.'
The flat, uneasy voice had a disquieting effect on Conrad.
'Are you all right, Tom?' he asked, trying to see O'Brien in the darkness.
'Of course I'm all right,' O'Brien snapped, and heaved himself out of his chair. 'I guess that punk wants his bath now. It's coming up for ten o'clock.'
'I'll come with you,' Conrad said, still a little worried by O'Brien's apparent edginess. 'I want to make the rounds before I turn in.'
'Are you going out again?'
'Yes, about three, I guess.'
A flash of lightning lit up the verandah, and Conrad was startled to see how pale O'Brien looked.
'Are you sure you're all right, Tom?'
'Hell, yes! Maybe the storm's given me a headache, but there's nothing the matter with me,' O'Brien said, and wiped his glistening face with his handkerchief. 'I never did like thunderstorms.'
The crash of thunder that came while he was speaking shook the hunting lodge.
'Phew! It sounds overhead already,' Conrad said.
O'Brien walked into the hall where a guard sat nursing a riot gun.
