"But look at it, sir," insisted Rampole, and bent over the paper suddenly. "Old Anthony didn't know he was doing a cross-word puzzle; but, in effect, that's what it is. You said it was, a form of the rebus―"
"Come to think of it," rumbled Dr. Fell, clearing his throat, "the process was not unknown―"
"Well, work it!" said Sir Benjamin. "Try it that way. `What called the dwellers of Lyn-dun?' I supposed that means, `What were the dwellers of Lyn-dun called?' Does anybody know?"
Dr. Fell, who had been puffing out his moustache and acting like a sulky child, took up the pencil again. He answered, shortly:
" `Fenmen,' of course. Very well, we'll try it. As Miss Starberth has suggested, our next two words are `Iliad' and `Norway.' `What doth all men destroy?' I can't think of anything except Death. So there we are — FENMEN ILIAD NORWAY DEATH."
There was a silence.
"That doesn't seem to make much sense," muttered Sir Benjamin, dubiously.
"It makes the most sense of anything yet, at least," Rampole said. "Let's go oh. `Against it man hath dashed his foot…' That sounds familiar. `Lest he dash his foot against a- Got it! Try `stone.' Now, what angel bears a spear?"
"That's Ithuriel," Dr. Fell pointed out, recovering his good humour. "The next line is obviously 'Gethsemane.' Let's see what we have now — FENMEN ILIAD NORWAY DEATH STONE ITHURIEL GETHSEMANE."
Then a broad grin creased up the folds of his many chins. He twisted his 'moustache like a pirate.