"What time is it?" asked the woman.
"Close on midnight," was the reply. "Anyhow, we must wait here until half-past twelve; if nothing comes by that time we shall hear nothing until to-morrow night. My word, if that fool of a fellow who lives in the hut on the cliff only knew! For my own part, I am not sure he does not suspect."
"What makes you think so?"
"I thought he was very guarded this morning," replied the man, "and I must use every means to make certain; if we bungle this we shall be in a bad way. Anyhow, he is closely watched night and day."
After this there was silence, save that I thought I heard a faint clicking noise. The minutes dragged heavily. It seemed as though nothing were going to happen. The moon rose higher and higher, revealing the outlines of the man and woman still more plainly, and presently I saw that their waiting had been rewarded. There was a clear repetition of the sounds I had heard previously. Then the woman said, "Have you got it?"
"Yes," replied the man; "we will take it in, and then our work for the night is done."
A few minutes later the man climbed the ladder again; evidently he was detaching something he had placed on the trees.
I waited and watched perhaps for another ten minutes, and then they went back into the house which had remained in darkness all the time.