The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-13
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lCo0ttnuo0sl But suddenly I remembered a thing I once heard in Rhodesia from old Pe- ter P1enaar. I have quoted Peter al- readY~in this narrative. He was the best scout ever kne w, and before he had turned respectable he had been pretty often on the windy side of the law-when he had been wanted badly by the authorities.
 Peter once discussed with me the question of disguises, and he had theory which struck me at the time.
 He said, barring absolute -certatnties like finger prints, mere physical traits were very little use for Identification if the fugitive really knew his busi- ness. He laughed at things Nike dyed hair and false boards and such child ish follies. - : The only thing that mattered was what Peter called "ammosphere." If man could get into perfectly differ ent surroundings from those in which he had been first observed and-this is the important part-reaIly play up to these surroundings and behave as if he had never been out of them he would puzzle the cleverest detectives. And he used to tell story of how he once borrowed a black coat and went to church and shared the same hymn book with the man that was looking for him. If that man had seen him in decent company before he would have recognized him. but he had only seen him snufing the lights in a public house with revolver
 The recollection of Peters talk gave me the first real comfort I had had that day. Peter had been a wise old bird, and these fellows I was after were about the pick of the aviary. What if they were playing Peters game?
 A fool tries to look different; a clev- CT man looks the same and is different It was now getting on for o'clock, and went back and saw Scalfe to give him his instructions. I arranged with him how to place his men, and then went for a walk, for I didn't feel up to any dinner. I went round the de serted golf course and then to a point on the. cliffs farther north, beyond the line of the villas.
 On the little, trim, newly made roads met people in dannels coming back from tennis and the beach, and a coast guard from the wireless station, and donkeys and pierrots padding homeward. Out at sea, in the blue dusk, saw lights appear on the Ariad- ne and on the destroyer away to the south and beyond the Cock sands the bigger lights of steamers making for the Thames.
 The whole scene was so peaceful and ordinary that I got more dashed in spirits every second. It took all my resolution to stroll toward Trafalgar lodge about half past g.
 Scaife's men would be posted now, but there was no sign of a soul.
 The house stood as open as market place for anybody to observe. A three foot railing separated it from the cliff road The windows on the ground floor were all open, and shaded lights and the low sound of voices revealed where the occupants were finishing dinner. Everything was as public and Rboveboard assa charity bazaar
 Feeling the greatest fool on earth. opened the gate and rang the bell.
 A man of my sort who has travelled about the world in rough places gets on perfectly well with two classes what you may call the upper and the lower He understands them, and they understand him. I was at home with herds and tramps and roadmen and I was sufficiently at my ease witt people like Sir Walter and the men had met the night before.
 I can't explain why. but 1t is Q fact But what fellows like me don't under stand is the great, comfortable, satis fled middle class world, the folk tha live in villas and suburbs. He doesn' know how they look at things, h. doesn't unG erstand their conventions and he is as shy of them as of blacI mamba.
 When trim parIor maid opened tn, door could hardly find my voice.
 I asked for MT. Appleton and wa ushered in. My plan had been to wall strcight into the dining room and by sudden appearance wake in the mel that start of recognition which woul' confirm my theory.
 But when I found myself in tha neat hall the place mastered me.