“The fellow is a spy!” I said to Raffles, with no nursery oath, as we
strolled within the lines that night.
He merely smiled in my face.
“And have you only just found it out, Bunny? I have known it almost
ever since we joined; but this morning I did think we had him on
toast.”
“It’s disgraceful that we had not,” cried I. “He ought to have been
shot like a dog.”
“Not so loud, Bunny, though I quite agree; but I don’t regret what has
happened as much as you do. Not that I am less bloodthirsty than you
are in this case, but a good deal more so! Bunny, I’m mad-keen on
bowling him out with my own unaided hand—though I may ask you to take
the wicket. Meanwhile, don’t wear all your animosity upon your sleeve;
the fellow has friends who still believe in him; and there is no need
for you to be more openly his enemy than you were before.”
Well, I can only vow that I did my best to follow this sound advice;
but who but a Raffles can control his every look? It was never my
forte, as you know, yet to this day I cannot conceive what I did to
excite the treacherous corporal’s suspicions. He was clever enough,
however, not to betray them, and lucky enough to turn the tables on us,
as you shall hear.