Chapter 14
THE SIX PHILOSOPHERSACROSS green fields, and breaking through blooming hedges,
toiled six draggled detectives, about five miles out of London. The
optimist of the party had at first proposed that they should follow
the balloon across South England in hansom-cabs. But he was
ultimately convinced of the persistent refusal of the balloon to
follow the roads, and the still more persistent refusal of the
cabmen to follow the balloon. Consequently the tireless though
exasperated travellers broke through black thickets and ploughed
through ploughed fields till each was turned into a figure too
outrageous to be mistaken for a tramp. Those green hills of Surrey
saw the final collapse and tragedy of the admirable light grey suit
in which Syme had set out from Saffron Park. His
