Page 65 - A Hero of Liége

Pariset bit his nails in perplexity. Kenneth stared musingly at the dray.

"I've an idea!" he said. "Pretend that the drayman has been called up. The
brewer is short-handed, and has to send clerks out of the office to deliver

the beer: two clerks equal one drayman. Besides, if I go with you, I may
catch sight of that fellow I saw with Hellwig, and make sure he's our man."

"The very thing! Your clothes are all right; I must borrow a suit from the
miller. But wait: won't Hellwig's man recognise you?"

"I'll guard against that--smear my face with rust off the cask-hoops, and
borrow a slouch hat which I'll keep well down over my eyes. It's worth

trying."

Delighted with the plan, the miller furnished them with the necessary
garments. In a few minutes Pariset, got up passably as a clerk, went out to
the drayman, who was becoming impatient. The man swore when he learnt

that his customers were suspected to be spies, and readily agreed to remain
in the miller's house and await the issue of the stratagem. Meanwhile

Kenneth had rubbed his cheeks and hands with rust, and in the low flopping
hat lent him by the miller would hardly have been recognised by his
friends, much less, he hoped, by a man who had seen him for only a few

minutes.

"I had better drive," said Kenneth; "then I can keep in the background while
you are delivering the cask, if you can tackle it alone."

"That will be easy enough. I see there's a ladder or inclined plane or
whatever they call it on the dray. I've only to roll the cask down and trundle

it to the door. I don't suppose they'll let me carry it inside."

Kenneth took the reins, and drove off, Pariset, who also had smeared face

and hands, dangling his legs over the tail of the dray. They jogged down the
road, passed under the railway bridge, and came in due course to the mill.