But the direct way
was barred to him. Nevertheless, no task could appal the
inflexible spirit of the man, and he had registered a silent vow
that Ormuz Khan should never leave England alive.
Not a soul was astir yet upon the country roads, and sitting down
upon a grassy bank, Nicol Brinn lighted one of his black cigars,
which in times of stress were his food and drink, upon which if
necessary he could carry-on for forty-eight hours upon end.
In connection with his plan for coercing Harley, Ormuz Khan had
gone to London by rail on the previous night, departing from
Lower Claybury station at about the time that Colonel Lord
Wolverham came out of the Cavalry Club to discover his Rolls
Royce to be missing. This same Rolls Royce was now a source of
some anxiety to Nicol Brinn, for its discovery by a passing
labourer in the deserted barn seemed highly probable.
However, he had matters of greater urgency to think about, not
the least of these being the necessity of concealing his presence
in the neighbourhood of Hillside. Perhaps his Sioux-like face
reflected a spirit allied in some respects to that of the once
great Indian tribe.
His genius for taking cover, perfected upon many a big-game
expedition, enabled him successfully to accomplish the feat; so
that, when the limousine, which he had watched go by during the
morning, returned shortly after noon, the lack-lustre eyes were
peering out through the bushes near the entrance to the drive.
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