Pons had spent the afternoon going over the grounds of the manor making sure that all the doors and windows were secure before dusk. Now we waited for Miss Grimstone to bring the coffee and brandy she had promised against the querulous protests of her uncle.
"Our vigil here this evening?" There was contempt in Pons' voice.
"Do not trouble yourself about that, Mr. Grimstone. There are some other matters I would like to discuss. You did not tell me about your brother. Your business partner — the one who went to Australia."
There was a long hush in the room and the old man's complexion seemed to have turned yellow. He struggled up in his fireside chair with a shriveled hand to the shawl at his throat.
"It was all a long time ago, Mr. Pons. That rascal went abroad and I have neither seen nor heard from him to this day, thank God!"
"Why do you say that, Mr. Grimstone?"
"Because he was a villain. The firm would have crashed if I had not taken control."
"That is your supposition, Mr. Grimstone?"
The old man put his head on one side and surveyed my companion grimly.
"It is indeed, Mr. Pons. And it is true. The affair is an old one and may be consulted in the stock exchange records." His eyes expressed malevolent distrust as he stared at the detective.
"You seem to beforgetting your purpose here, Mr. Pons.
My life is threatened by this ghastly thing from the marsh and you are talking ancient history."
Solar Pons smiled thinly and put up his hand to silence our client.
"I have not been idle, Mr. Grimstone. I have a mind to put my theories to the test this evening. You have no objection to taking part in a little experiment?"
Silas Grimstone stared at Pons suspiciously as he went to the window and drew the curtain, then rubbed his strong slender fingers together.
"Excellent! There is a mist coming up from the marsh. Ideal for our purposes. You have no objection to a little walk in an hour or so, suitably wrapped up? If we cannot find the phantom of the marsh — and it is pointless to go looking for him in such a wide area — then we must call him to us."
"Mr. Pons!" The old man's voice cracked with agitation. He glared at my companion, pushing aside Miss Sylvia Grimstone as she tried to mollify him with a cup of coffee.
The old man's niece had a faint smile on her face as she turned to me. She put the cup at my elbow and another in front of Pons who had now resumed his seat.
"You want me to go out there? You are using me as some sort of decoy, sir?"
Solar Pons nodded over the rim of his coffee cup.
"By all means, Mr. Grimstone," he agreed cheerfully. "You were out in your stable yard yesterday evening when we arrived, quite unprotected. I shall not require you to do much more tonight. Merely to show yourself and leave the rest to Parker and myself."
There was suppressed excitement in Miss Grimstone's eyes. "Ah, you intend to be on hand, Mr. Pons."
"Of course, Miss Grimstone. I would not risk your uncle's health or well-being for one second," said Solar Pons smoothly. "Parker has his revolver — we will see whether this phantom is vulnerable to bullets or something more ethereal."
There was a strange, twisted expression on old Silas Grimstone’s face. He nodded once or twice as though he agreed with my companion's suggestion, then cocked his head.
"What is your plan, Mr. Pons?"
"That is better, Mr. Grimstone," said Solar Pons, tenting his fingers on the table before him. "I have formed certain theories and considered a number of suppositions. Now I have to test them in the field, as it were. I cannot do that unless we give this creature tangible reason for venturing out tonight. He will not do so unless he knows that you are abroad."
Grimstone's expression changed to extreme alarm. He looked furtively around him as though he expected to find the subject of his fears at his elbow in the flickering firelight.
"You do not mean to say he is watching us?"
Solar Pons inclined his head.
"He must do so, Mr. Grimstone. That is the only possible conclusion one can draw. Otherwise, how can he appear only to you, except when others may be about by accident? No, Mr. Grimstone, there is a person of some cunning and persistence at the bottom of this business. And we must draw him out if we are to apprehend him."
"What do you wish me to do, Mr. Pons?" The room was silent.
My friend's coffee cup rattled with a faint clink.
"You must follow my instructions absolutely to the letter, Mr. Grimstone, if things are to be brought to a successful conclusion."
The old man looked soberly at Pons, fearful thoughts reflected in his cadaverous eyes.
"Very well, Mr. Pons. I will do as you say. What are your proposals?"
10
"There he goes, Parker! Quickly! It is vitally important that we keep him in sight at all times."
I followed Pons through the thick mist, marveling once again at the unerring manner in which my companion found his way. The fog was thickening and even Pons, I think, was hard put to it to make out the indistinct figure of old Silas Grimstone. The night was dark and cold, the mist rising thickly from the surface of the swamp; altogether it was ideal for Pons' daring plan though it would be extremely dangerous if things went wrong.
I had my revolver in my pocket, the safety catch on, but with my hand on the butt ready for action if need be. A number of disconnected thoughts were chasing themselves through my mind as we hurried along. Pons' plan was simple but like all such things, brilliant in its very elementariness. It combined daring, with some danger to ourselves, but with a minimum of risk to our client.
Miss Grimstone had driven us out in the buggy along the main road toward the spot where it met the path which led through the swamp to the ruined buildings of D'Eath Farm. Silas Grimstone was to leave his niece at a predetermined time and walk along the path, keeping to the firm and high ground which led to the farm before it reached the swamp proper.
Pons and I had left the stopping place half an hour earlier; my companion had marked out another path on the map which led to the heart of the swamp. Once in position, we were to walk along our path in the direction of the farm. In this way, if the apparition appeared, we should be between it and the farm buildings and cut off any possible retreat into the swamp.
The most practical feature to my mind was Pons' inspiration in making Grimstone carry a small but powerful flashlight, ostensibly to light his way. But, it would serve two purposes — to draw the apparition to its intended victim and at the same time denote Grimstone's exact position to us so we could protect him. Unfortunately, mist had closed in soon after we had gained the old path and Pons became extremely anxious about the success of the plan.
Grimstone was due to leave his niece at exactly eleven P.M. and at precisely that moment as indicated by the second hand of my watch, Pons had led the way back in the direction of the farm buildings. He had allowed fifteen minutes for old Grimstone to get to the farm but we should be in sight of him long before that.
The mist grew thicker and I was becoming more and more anxious until Pons' reassuring cry. A moment later I saw a thin beam of light close to the ground, coming along the causeway far off to our right. It caught only a momentary glimpse; then the thick white vapor closed in again.
"We must hurry, Parker. I should never forgive myself if anything went wrong."
"We are within striking distance now, Pons. You could not have foreseen this damnable fog."