Edgar Wallace

“ As they spun down to the valley of the Dart, Mansus touched his arm.
"Look at that," he said, and pointed to the blue heavens where, a mile above their heads, a white-winged aeroplane, looking no larger than a very distant dragon fly, shimmered in the sunlight.
"By Jove!" said T. X. "What an excellent way for a man to escape!"
"It's about the only way," said Mansus.
The significance of the aeroplane was borne in upon T. X. a few minutes later when he was held up by an armed guard. ”

“ The porter ventured the opinion that she was rather excited, but when asked to define the symptoms relapsed into a chaos of incoherent "you-knows" and "what-I-means."
"I don't like this," said T. X., suddenly. "Does anybody know that we have made these discoveries?"
"Nobody outside the office," said Mansus, "unless, unless . . ."
"Unless what?" asked the other, irritably. "Don't be a jimp, Mansus. Get it off your mind. What is it?"
"I am wondering," said Mansus slowly, "if the landlord at Great James Street said anything. He knows we have made a search." ”

“ He ran up the stairs to his office, and found Mansus reading the evening paper.
"My poor, dumb beast," said T. X. "I am afraid I have kept you waiting for a very long time, but tomorrow you and I will take a little journey to Devonshire. It will be good for you, Mansus—where did you get that ridiculous name, by the way!"
"M. or N.," replied Mansus, laconically.
"I repeat that there is the dawn of an intellect in you," said T. X., offensively. ”