Just why, at this crisis in his fortunes. Lieutenant
Webb should not have forsworn his determination
not to telegraph ahead his impending arrival, and
thus secure the finding of Diantha awaiting him,
may not be much discussed. It certainly had
begun to look very much as though, if he could
not surprise her according to his plan, he really
meant to go back to America without seeing her.
It is possible that a mind trained in the school of
military methods may find it inconceivable that
the attacking party should give the enemy warning
of his approach. Lieutenant Webb may have
believed that the particular fortress he designed
to capture must be taken by storm if it were to
fall into his hands at all. At all events, as he was
driven away out of Larne at a pace which caused



THE WEST GIVES CHASE 251

other drivers of outside cars to look after his parti-
cular jarvey as if they thought he had taken leave
of his senses, certain determined lines, always
visible about the sturdy American's mouth, were
drawn more than usually tense. The glance of
his eye ahead, as he scanned the road, winding
ever along the foot of the cliff, in and out of the
deep curves of the shore, and therefore sometimes
observable miles in advance, was that of the man
who not only expects but intends to come upon
the object of his pursuit.
The conversation during the journey was not
of enough importance to be recorded at length.
The driver of Webb's car, finding himself in the em-
ploy of a well-set-up American, possessing an eye
which gave the impression that nothing ever escaped
it, set out to make the most of his opportunity.
