At last midnight sounded, and as I heard it I concealed myself more carefully in my doorway and watched.  I was not to be kept long in suspense, for the new day was scarcely three minutes old, when a hansom drove up to the other side of the church, and a man alighted.  He paid off the man and wished him good-night, and then came along the roadway at the back of the church.  From where I stood I could see his figure distinctly, but was not able to distinguish his face.  He was dressed in a black cloak, and wore a deer-stalker hat upon his head.  That he was the man I wanted I felt sure, for what would any one else be doing there at such an hour?  That he was surprised at not finding his bravoes awaiting him was very certain, for he looked up the street, down the street, peered into Holywell Street, where, thank goodness, he did not see me, then along the Strand in a westerly direction, and afterwards came and took up his position within half-a-dozen paces of where I was hidden.  Presently he took a cigar-case from his pocket, opened it, selected a weed, and struck a match to light it.  The flame illumined his face so that I could see it distinctly.  If I had not had myself well under control, I believe I should have uttered an exclamation of surprise that could not have failed to attract attention. The man who had set those rascals on to try and get rid of me, was none other than Mr. Edward Bayley, the Managing Director of the Santa Cruz Mining Company of the Argentine Republic!

Here was a surprise indeed!  What on earth did it all mean?

CHAPTER V

I must confess that the discovery I had made behind St. Martin’s church, and which I described at the end of the previous chapter, had proved too much for me.  What possible reason could Mr. Bayley have for wanting to rid himself of me?  Only the morning before he had been anxious to secure my services in the interests of his Company, and now here he was hiring a couple of ruffians to prevent me from doing my work, if not to take my life.  When I reached my hotel again, and went to bed, I lay awake half the night endeavouring to arrive at an understanding of it; but, try how I would, I could not hit upon a satisfactory solution.  Upon one thing, however, I had quite made up my mind.  As soon as the City offices were open, I would call at that of the Santa Cruz Mining Company, and put a few questions to Mr. Bayley which I fancied that individual would find difficult and rather unpleasant to answer.  This plan I carried out, and at ten o’clock I stood in the handsome outer office of the Company.

“I should be glad to see the managing director, if he could spare me a few moments,” I said to the youth who waited upon me in answer to his question.

“He’s engaged, sir, at present,” the lad replied.  “If you will take a seat, however, I don’t fancy he will be very long.”

I did as he directed, and in the interval amused myself by studying a large map of the Argentine Republic, which hung upon the wall.  I had practically exhausted its capabilities when the door opened, and a tall, military-looking man emerged and passed out into the street.