No, I said, in a way that I felt was aggressive.
Do you not see the child?
Yes, it is a child, but who brought it here? And is it wounded? I
asked.
We shall see, said the Professor, and with one impulse we took our way
out of the churchyard, he carrying the sleeping child.
When we had got some little distance away, we went into a clump of
trees, and struck a match, and looked at the child s throat. It was
without a scratch or scar of any kind.
Was I right? I asked triumphantly.
We were just in time, said the Professor thankfully.
We had now to decide what we were to do with the child, and so consulted
about it. If we were to take it to a police-station we should have to
give some account of our movements during the night; at least, we should
have had to make some statement as to how we had come to find the child.
So finally we decided that we would take it to the Heath, and when we
heard a policeman coming, would leave it where he could not fail to find
it; we would then seek our way home as quickly as we could. All fell out
well. At the edge of Hampstead Heath we heard a policeman s heavy
tramp, and laying the child on the pathway, we waited and watched until
he saw it as he flashed his lantern to and fro. We heard his exclamation
of astonishment, and then we went away silently. By good chance we got a
cab near the Spaniards, and drove to town.
I cannot sleep, so I make this entry. But I must try to get a few hours
sleep, as Van Helsing is to call for me at noon. He insists that I shall
go with him on another expedition.
* * * * *
_27 September._--It was two o clock before we found a suitable
opportunity for our attempt. The funeral held at noon was all completed,
203