The Spook thanked the Commandant for his trust and his readiness to disobey the War Office. But to make the disobedience doubly safe, the responsibility for our continued confinement should be transferred on to the shoulders of our fellow-prisoners. With this end in view the Spook announced he had placed Doc. O’Farrell “under control.” Let Moïse go to the Doc. and say the mediums want some quinine; the proof that the Spook was in control would be that Doc. would refuse to give any medicine without first seeing his patients.[[38]] Moïse was to object a little at first, but in the end he should permit the visit. “If I am successful,” the Spook said, “the doctor will be very uneasy about his patients after his visit. He will go home and consult his text books. Then he will ask the Commandant’s permission to keep them under medical observation, and will suggest that they be not permitted walks or access to the other prisoners until he is satisfied about their health. The Commandant can then produce the telegram and say, ‘Orders have just come for their release. I was just going to tell them.’ The doctor, speaking under my control, will advise him not to tell them just at present, but to keep them locked up, to which the Commandant will agree. In this way the Commandant will be free from all blame for their continued imprisonment.”
The Pimple thought the plan excellent, and at once put it into execution. He asked the doctor for some quinine. As previously arranged, Doc. refused to give it without seeing us. The Pimple, much delighted at finding the control so perfect, brought him over to us. While the doctor was examining our tongues and feeling our pulses, Hill slipped into his pocket a small packet containing—
(1) A complete copy of the Pimple’s records of the séances.
(2) A brief explanation of our plans, and a note telling the Doc. what advice we wished him to give the Commandant, and why.
(3) The negatives of the treasure-hunt.
(4) The camera, to be returned to its owner (Lieut. Wright).
The Pimple and the Doc. left our room together. Ten minutes later the Pimple came back. He told us the Spook had succeeded partially, but not wholly. The doctor had obviously been under control, for his hands were very cold, his face pale, and his voice a trifle shaky. (So they were—from excitement. He knew something was in the wind.) But outside, instead of recommending our seclusion, he had recommended walks, as we looked pale!
Hill and I knew what had happened—Doc. had given his orders for walks off-hand, before reading our instructions. Moïse explained that no doubt the Spook would put things right later, for the doctor had said at parting that he would visit us again, as he had forgotten to bring his thermometer.
We turned again to the spook-board.
“There were several reasons why I did not do everything at once,” said the Spook. “First, my motto is ‘Yawash, yawash’ (slowly, slowly). Second, I needed all my force for the doctor and could spare none to instruct the mediums how to answer his questions. Third, you—Moïse—ought to have remembered that the doctor was under control. You were so interested that your thoughts interfered with me. Try to keep your mind a blank next time.”