The Pit-Prop Syndicate · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Pit-Prop Syndicate by Freeman Wills Crofts.

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Chapter 1
Part I: The Amateurs
The chapter introduces the amateur investigators Merriman and Hilliard as they embark on a cruise to Bordeaux, encounter Madeleine Coburn, inspect the Girondin, and begin uncovering a smuggling operation involving hollow props and a secret syndicate.
Chapter 2
The Sawmill on the Lesque
Seymour Merriman, a wine merchant on a business trip through France, stops to rest by a bridge and notices a motor lorry with an English nameplate. After his bicycle develops a petrol leak, he follows the lorry into a forest lane and meets a young woman, Madeleine Coburn, who helps him obtain petrol. He later becomes suspicious when he notices the lorry's number plate has been changed and the driver reacts hostilely, but he dismisses it as trivial. The encounter leaves him intrigued by Miss Coburn.
Chapter 3
An Interesting Suggestion
Merriman and Hilliard discuss the mysterious lorry number plate change and the suspicious behavior of the driver and manager at the sawmill. Hilliard proposes a joint holiday cruise to Bordeaux via the Garonne, ostensibly to investigate the matter further, though Merriman is more motivated by the chance to see Madeleine Coburn again.
Chapter 4
The Start of the Cruise
Seymour Merriman travels from London to Bordeaux to begin a cruise with his friend Claud Hilliard. During the journey, he reflects on the trip and on Hilliard's suspicions about smuggling involving the Coburns. After meeting in Bordeaux, they inspect Hilliard's boat, the Swallow, and discuss their plan to investigate the lorry affair while ensuring Madeleine Coburn's safety.
Chapter 5
A Commercial Proposition
Merriman and Hilliard dine with the Coburns, where they notice tension and a shared secret between father and daughter. Hilliard proposes spying on the loading of their steamer. The next day, they observe the Coburns and the lorry driver leave, then inspect the sawmill and wharf, posing as tourists.

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Part I: The Amateurs

The Sawmill on the Lesque

An Interesting Suggestion

The Start of the Cruise

A Commercial Proposition