"His tone was quiet and crisp, an' his face showed me that 'e was out for blood.
"'I have it in my mind almost to be sorry for you, British Tommy,' he said calmly, 'You know too much. I am going to decide on the best way to dis——'
"He got as far as 'dis'—when something leaped out of the shadows and he was hurled back with a sudden rush. It was Tommy, and he swung his heavy Boche rifle and stove the man down with terrific force. There was a dreadful half-choked, whimper and then silence.
"Tommy stood regarding the still form with a bleached face. He then bent over him, but without touching, looked up at me.
"'Saved a firing party the trouble,' he said. 'He's dead all right.'
"He straightened himself up.
"'What the devil shall we do with it, McNab?'
"''Tis a spy he was,' I answered, 'and it's ten to one that he has a code or some kind of papers tucked away on him. Just run through his pockets before we leave him.'
"'No, no,' Tommy said, 'I can't touch him he'll haunt me, sure.'
"The man was quite dead when I rolled him over. I took from his pockets a leather bound code book, English, French and German bank notes, and a gold stop watch.