He looked at his watch sometimes half a dozen times in ten minutes, changed his position continually, started violently whenever he heard an unexpected footstep behind him.

Finally he broke a promise he had made to himself.

He bought newspapers, took them into a sheltered corner, and tore them open.

Column by column he searched them through feverishly, running his finger down one side and up the next.

It seemed impossible to find nowhere the heading he dreaded to see, to realize that they were entirely empty of any exciting incident.