He was turning away from the barn to go to the rectory and collect his men, when Edwin stopped him for a moment. "Have you any objection to my taking a flight, sergeant?" he asked. "I want to try my machine now it is repaired?"
Edwin quite expected the man to object, but, to his surprise, the sergeant at once assented. "Seeing you going away on the aeroplane will make Mrs. Vence think that we have given up the hunt, and she will venture out to escape. Go, by all means, Mr. Craver. I'll come back to see you start."
Purse hurried away, and Edwin made ready his machine. He only intended to take a short flight over the water and then return, as he merely wished to see if the repairs were all right. To provide against accidents he placed a coil of rope on the pilot's seat. It might be wanted, and it might not. All the same, it was just as well that it should be there. Shortly, and just when Purse returned from the rectory, Edwin was ready, and called two or three coastguards from their station to assist in the ascent. While they ran the aeroplane along the ground to give it the impetus to rise, Purse cast his eyes here, there, and everywhere, in the hope of seeing Mrs. Vence. Why he expected her to remain in the vicinity of her crime it is impossible to say. But he could not help thinking that she was lurking about close at hand. However, his attention was called from watching by the ascent of the great machine, which rose majestically into the air, swept round in a great circle, and then turned its nose seaward. Looking up and following its flight, Purse walked along towards the coastguard station, leaving Claudia seated in the shadow near the front of the barn. She was behind one of the double doors, and could not be seen from within.
For a time Claudia watched the aeroplane swooping and soaring and dipping and rising in the rainbow-coloured sunset sky. When it dwindled to a mere black dot she let her eyes sink to the ground, and blinked to got the dazzle out of them. Suddenly she heard a stealthy noise, and looked through the aperture between the door and the barn, where it swung on its hinges. To her surprise, she saw someone climbing actively down the wall, having emerged from the trapdoor leading to the loft. There was no ladder, as has been explained, so the person in question had to descend like a monkey, using feet and hands to cling to the rough wail, A glint of sunshine showed Claudia a blue dress and a red knitted shawl, so she was not long in doubt as to whom the individual was. Evidently Mrs. Vence, after striking down the boy, had climbed up into the loft in order to hide, and now that she believed the coast to be clear was trying to escape into the open. No one had ever thought of searching the loft, so the astute old woman had shown uncommon sense in choosing her hiding-place.
With bated breath Claudia rose silently and waited patiently, drawing the whistle from her pocket, Mrs. Vence, quite ignorant that she was being watched, crept down like a huge bat, and then made a run for the door. Just as she emerged, Claudia sprang at her and the old woman uttered a shriek like the cry of a trapped animal. Afterwards she became silent and fought viciously. But Claudia, knowing what was at stake, held on tightly. In the struggle the woman's spectacles fell off, then her bonnet and a mass of false hair. She was unmasked.
"Lady Wyke!" gasped Claudia, "Lady Wyke!"
[CHAPTER XXV.]
"Lady Wyke! Lady Wyke!" babbled Claudia, dazed by the amazing discovery.
"You beast!" snarled the detected murderess, and wrenched herself free, to run swiftly across the open space between the barn and the zig-zag path which led down to the beach.
Claudia, seeing her quarry escaping, recovered her senses promptly, and blew a shrill call on the police whistle. In a moment Sergeant Purse, at the not too distant coastguard station, heard the signal, and came running out. He saw in a moment the flying figure of the woman, and sped towards her like a deer, in order to intercept her before she reached the cliffs. At the same time Claudia sprang forward also, and reached the fugitive almost at the same time as the officer. Purse laid hands on his prey just as she reached the opening of the path, and dexterously flung her on the ground. Lady Wyke, seeing that she was lost, howled like a wild beast, and swore like several troopers in her anger and baffled rage. But the sergeant paid no attention to her curses. When he rose she was lying on the ground with handcuffs on her wrists. Claudia silently stood looking down on her captured enemy, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, so unstrung did she feel. Unable to say a word, she turned red and white alternately, and awaited events.