BERNARD TREVES'S BOOTS
A NOVEL OF THE SECRET SERVICE
BY
LAURENCE CLARKE
AUTHOR OF "A PRINCE OF INDIA," ETC.
HODDER AND STOUGHTON LIMITED
LONDON
1920
DEDICATION
To Sir Emsley Carr, who suggested
that I should write this book, and
to whom I am much indebted for
valuable first-hand incidents which
figure in these pages.
January, 1920.
CHAPTER I
"Are you sure your name is Manton?"
Captain Gilbert looked keenly across the table. Thelight in the little room was not good, and the expressionon the Captain's face was one of intense interest andbewilderment.
"Quite sure, sir—John Manton," answered the manstanding at the further side of the table.
Manton was one of a number of recruits who had thatday presented themselves at the Ryde Recruiting Office—atall, well-poised man of twenty-six, dark-haired,blue-eyed, firm-lipped and vigorous-looking, despite thefact that his countenance was somewhat pale. He worea well-brushed blue serge suit, noticeably the worse forwear. His bowler hat, too, had seen long service.
Captain Gilbert, still looking at him, drew forth asheet of paper, and took up his pen.
"John Manton," he wrote, then his eyes lifted, andhe looked once more and with a peculiar expression intothe tall young recruit's face. For a moment he paused."Manton," he said, "I should like to see you privatelyafter the office closes."
The young man steadily returned his gaze.
"Very good, sir," he said, with an air of docility. "Atwhat time shall I come?"
"At eight o'clock," returned Gilbert. "Wait for meoutside." His eyes followed the other as he turned andleft the building, but the moment the door had closedCaptain Gilbert plunged once again into his work.
"Next," he called to the line of men seated on thefar side of the room; and the man at the end of theline rose and advanced towards the table.
Manton in the meantime paced the streets until eighto'clock, then turned his steps towards the recruiting office.
"I wonder what he wants," thought the young man.
Possibly Gilbert guessed he had been in the army before,and wished to question him upon that point.
"Whatever he wants," thought Manton, somewhatwearily, "does not much matter. If he refuses to takeme, and manages to find out everything, I can enlistsomewhere else."
As the clock struck eight Captain Gilbert, with an airof haste, BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!
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