"Strangwise is a very able fellow and a fine soldier. The
Brigadier thought a lot of him. There's very little about
artillery work that Strangwise doesn't know. Our Brigadier's a
good judge, too... he was a gunner himself once, you know."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," answered the Chief, "because
there are some things he has told us, about the movements of
troops, particularly, that don't agree in the least with our own
Intelligence reports. I am an old enough hand at my job to know
that very often one man may be right where fifty independent
witnesses are dead wrong. Yet our reports from Germany have been
wonderfully accurate on the whole."
He stopped.
"Tell me," he asked suddenly, "is Strangwise a liar, do you
think?"
Desmond laughed. The question was so very unexpected.
"Let me explain what I mean," said the Chief. "There is a type of
man who is quite incapable of telling the plain, unvarnished
truth. That type of fellow might have the most extraordinary
adventure happen to him and yet be unable to let it stand on its
merits. When he narrates it, he trims it up with all kinds of
embroidery. Is Strangwise that type?"
Desmond thought a moment.
"Your silence is very eloquent," said the Chief drily.
Desmond laughed.
"It's not the silence of consent," he said, "but if you want me
to be quite frank about Strangwise, Chief, I don't mind telling
you I don't like him overmuch.
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