The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-29
tcontinuad.1

er did anything without reason, and was pretty sure that there was Q cipher in all this. That is subject which has always interested me, and I did a bit at it myself once as intel dgence officer at Delagoa bay during the Beer war.
 have always had head for things like chess and puzzles, and used to reckon myself pretty good at finding out ciphers.
 This one looked like the numerical kind, where sets of figures correspond to the letters of the alphabet. but any fairly shrewd man can fAd the clew to that sort after an hour or two's. work, and I didn't think Scudder would have been content with any, printed words, for you can make a pretty good numerical cipher if you have key word which gives you the sequence of the letters.
 I tried for hours, but none of the words answered E ] Then fell asleep and woke at Dunn fEes just in time to bundle out and get Into the slow Galloway train There was man ..on the platform whose looks didu't like, but he never glanced at me and when caught sight of my self in the mirror of an autopnatic ma chine didn't wonder With my brown face, my old tweeds and my slouch I was the very model of one of the hill farmers who were crowding into the. third class car rtages, A
 1T travelled with half a dozen in an atmosphere of shag and clay pipes They had come from the weekly mar Ret and their mouths were fun of prices I heard accounts of bow the Eambing had gone mp the Cairn and the Deuch and dozen other mysterious waters
 About half of the men had lunched heavily and were highly n4wored with whisky, but they let me alone We rumbled slowly into a land of little wooded glens and then to a great, wide moorland place, gleaming with 1ochs, with high, blue hills showing north ward.
 About 5 o'clock the carriages had emptied, and was left alone, as I1lad hoped got out at the next station, little place whose name l scarcely noted, set in the heart of a bog. It re minded me of one of those forgotten little stations in the Karros.
 An old station master was digging in his garden and with his spade over his shoulder saunteredN to the train, took charge of a. parcel and went back to his potatoes. child of ten received my ticket, and emerged on a white road that struggled over the moss.
 1t was a gorgeous spring evening. with every hill showing as clear as a cut amethyst.
 The air had the queer rooty smell of boSs, but 1t was as fresh as midocean, i, and it had the strangest effect on my spirits. I actually felt light hearted. might have been a boy out for spring holiday tramp instead of a man ot thirty-seven very mulch wanted by the police.
 felt just as I used to feel when l was starting for big trek on a frosty morning on the high veldt
 If you believe me, I swung along that road whistling. There was nc plan of campaign in my head, only 5uat to go on and on in this hl1.ssed. honest smelling hin country. for every mile put me inl better humor.
 In a roadside planting I cut walk, ing stick of hazel and presently struck off the highway up bypath which fol lowed the glen of a brawfing stream
 reckoned that was stin far ahead of any pursuit and for that nighi might please myself. It was some hours since I had tasted food, and was getting very hungry when came to a herds cottage set in a nook beside a waterfall. A brown faced woman was standing by the door and greeted me with the kindly shyness ef moor land places.
 When I asked for a nights lodging she said was welcome to the "bed in the loft and very soon she set be fore me hearty meal of ham and e-gs scenes and thick sweet milk. Al the darkeningl kcr man came in from the hills, lean giant, who in one steT covered as much ground as three paces of ordinary mortals
 They asked no questions, for they had the perfect breeding oe all dwell CTS in the wilds, but could see they set me down as some kind of. dealer and I took little trouble to confirm their view.
 I spoke a lot about cattle, of which my host knew little, and picked UT from him a good deal about the local Galloway markets, which I tucked away in my memory for future use At 10 was nodding in my chair, and the Bed in the loft received weary man, who never opened his eyes till 5 o'clock set the little homestead going onQe more.
 They refused any payment, and by had breakfasked and was str1dine sCuthward again
 My notion was to return to the rail m. way line a station or two farther on than the place where had alighted yesterday andsto double back. reck-