The Thirty-Nine Steps

THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS

Richard Hannay, an expatriate Scot, returns from a long stay in South Africa to their new home, an apartment in London. He returns to start a new life. One night, a freelancespy, Franklin P. Scudder, calls on him to ask for help. Scudder says it has discovered the anarchist plot to assassinate the Greek Prime Minister, Karolides, and to involve Britain in war. He has alsobeen following a ring of German spies called the "Black Stone."
A few days later, Hannay find Scudder murdered in his flat. He decides to continue Scudder's work. Hannay fears that the murderers willcome for him. He believes it should continue with the investigation and save Karolides from the assassination. Hannay decides to hide in Scotland.
When he arrived, in the morning, he reads in anewspaper that the police are looking for him, but he can escape.
Later he is pursued by an airplane, and a policeman in a remote village tries to stop him. As he tries to avoid an oncoming car, Hannaycrashes his own, but the other driver offers to take him home. He is Sir Harry, a local politician. When he learns of Hannay's experiences in South Africa, he invites him to address a meeting thatafternoon. Hannay's speech impresses Sir Harry. He writes an introductory letter about Hannay to a relation in London's Foreign Office.
Hannay manages to stay ahead of his pursuers and hides in a cottageoccupied by an old man, who turns out to be one of the enemy. Fortunately, he leaves the house.
While discussing Scudder's notes, Sir Walter receives a phone call informing him of Karolides'sassassination. Hannay warns Sir Walter that the man must be a spy perhaps about to return to Europe with his stolen information. At that point Hannay realizes that the phrase "thirty-nine steps" might referto the landing-point in England from which the spy is about to set sail. Hannay and the British military leaders try to decipher the meaning of the mysterious 39 steps.
Hannay' s group decides on a...