The Chief’s voice broke in upon the narrative.
“Didn’t you know, Barling, hadn’t you heard, about Captain Strangwise’s escape from a German prisoners of war camp?”
“No, sir!” replied the gunner.
“There was a good deal about it in the papers.”
“I’ve not got much eddication, sir,” said Barling, “that’s w’y I never took the stripe and I don’t take much account of the newspapers an’ that’s a fact!”
“Well, go on!” the Chief bade him.
“It was pretty dark in the streets and I follered him along without his seeing me into the main-road and then down a turnin’...”
“Laleham Villas,” prompted Mr. Marigold.
“I wasn’t payin’ much attention to were he was leadin’ me,” said Barling, “what I wanted to find out was what he was up to! Presently he turned in at a gate. I was closer up than I meant to be, and he swung in so sudden that I had to drop quick and crouch behind the masonry of the front garden wall. My leave pass must a’ dropped out o’ my pocket and through the railin’s into the garden.
“Well, the front door must a’ been on the jar for th’ orficer here just pushes it open and walks in, goin’ very soft like. I crep’ in the front gate and got as far as the door w’ich was a-standin’ half open. I could ’ear the stair creakin’ under ’im and I was just wonderin’ whether I should go into the house w’en I hears a bang and wi’ that someone comes aflyin’ down the stairs, dodges through the front hall and out at the back. I see him come scramblin’ over the back gate and was a-goin’ to stop him thinkin’ it was th’ orficer here w’en I sees it is a tubby little chap, not big like the Captain. And then it come over me quite sudden-like that burglary and murder had been done in the house and wot would I say if a p’liceman come along? So I slipped off and went as hard as I could go back to the old Union Jack Club.