Footprints Without Feet – Chapter 3: The Midnight Visitor

About the Author: Robert Arthur was an American writer of detective and mystery stories, known for creating "The Three Investigators" series.

Summary: The story is about a secret agent named Ausable who lives in a French hotel. He is expecting to receive an important report about a new missile. A rival secret agent named Max enters his room with a pistol, demanding the report. Ausable remains calm and invents an imaginary balcony and police story to outsmart Max. He tells Max that the police are coming and that there is a balcony outside the window. When Max hears a knock at the door (actually the waiter), he panics, jumps out of the window, and falls to his death. Ausable's quick wit and presence of mind save him and the report.

Ausable: Ausable is a secret agent who is not the typical James Bond type. He is fat, short, and speaks French and German poorly. However, he is extremely intelligent, clever, and has great presence of mind. He does not carry a gun. When faced with danger, he uses his wit to outsmart his enemy. He invents a story about a balcony and the police to scare Max. His calmness and quick thinking save him.

Max: Max is a rival secret agent who is tall, slim, and carries a pistol. He is confident and threatening at first but is easily fooled by Ausable's story. He is impatient and nervous. He panics when he hears the knock at the door and jumps out of the window without checking if the balcony exists. His lack of patience and presence of mind lead to his death.

Fowler: Fowler is a young writer who wants to experience the adventurous life of a secret agent. He is disappointed when he sees Ausable's ordinary appearance and lifestyle. He is initially scared when Max appears but later witnesses Ausable's cleverness. He learns that real intelligence is more important than physical strength.

Answer: Ausable describes the balcony as a non-existent feature of his room. He says that someone could climb up the balcony to enter his room. He does this to create a believable story about how Max entered and to later use it as a trap. He wants to convince Max that there is a balcony outside the window so that Max will panic and jump out when he hears the door knock.

Answer: Ausable thinks Max will fall for his trick because Max is nervous and impatient. Ausable also knows that Max is a rival agent who will be desperate to get the report quickly. By inventing a believable story about the police coming, he creates a sense of urgency and fear in Max. Max panics and jumps without checking the truth.

Answer: Ausable told Max that the noise at the door was the police. He said that he had called them to protect the important report he was expecting. He acted calm and convinced Max that the police were there to arrest him.

Answer: The waiter was at the door. He had knocked to bring a drink that Ausable had ordered earlier. Ausable had cleverly ordered the drink to create a distraction that would force Max to hide or escape.

Answer: Ausable proves that he is a better secret agent through his intelligence, calmness, and presence of mind. Max had a pistol and the element of surprise, but Ausable used his wit to outsmart him. He invented a story about a balcony and the police to scare Max. He remained calm and confident while Max became nervous and impatient. Ausable did not need a weapon; his clever mind was his greatest strength.

Answer: The title "The Midnight Visitor" refers to Max, the rival secret agent who visits Ausable's room at midnight. He arrives unexpectedly with a pistol to steal the secret report. However, the title is ironic because the visitor does not succeed; instead, he falls to his death. The "midnight visitor" becomes the victim of Ausable's clever trap.

Answer: (Students should share their personal experiences.)

Answer: A good secret agent should be intelligent, calm under pressure, observant, quick-thinking, and able to outsmart enemies without violence. Ausable has all these qualities. He does not look like a typical secret agent, but he uses his mind to defeat Max. His presence of mind, ability to invent convincing stories, and calmness make him an excellent secret agent.

Slither: to slide or move smoothly
Passably: fairly, moderately
Gloomily: in a sad or depressed way
Conjure: to make something appear unexpectedly
Imagination: the ability to form new ideas or images
Startled: surprised or shocked
Pistol: a small gun
Chuckle: a quiet laugh
Balcony: a platform projecting from the wall of a building
Impatient: restless; unable to wait
Quest: a long search for something
Wit: intelligence and quick thinking

Answer:
(i) Ausable is speaking these words.
(ii) He mentions the balcony to create a story that someone could have entered through it. This is part of his plan to trap Max.
(iii) There is no balcony. Ausable invented it to fool Max.

Answer:
(i) Max is a rival secret agent.
(ii) Max wants the secret report about the new missile.
(iii) This reveals that Max is impatient, threatening, and overconfident. He thinks he is in control, but his impatience later leads to his downfall.

Answer: Ausable uses his imagination to invent a non-existent balcony and a story about the police coming. He creates a believable scenario that makes Max panic. He says that the police have come to arrest Max for entering his room. When Max hears the knock (which is actually the waiter), he believes Ausable's story and jumps out of the window to escape. Ausable's imagination saves him and the important report.

Answer: Ausable is short, fat, and speaks French poorly. He does not look like a typical secret agent. He is calm, intelligent, and uses his wit to outsmart others. He does not carry a weapon. Max, on the other hand, is tall, slim, and carries a pistol. He looks more like a secret agent. However, he is impatient, nervous, and easily fooled. While Ausable uses his mind, Max relies on his weapon. Ausable's intelligence makes him superior to Max.

Answer: Fowler learns that real intelligence and wit are more important than physical strength or dramatic action. He initially thought secret agents were glamorous and adventurous. He was disappointed by Ausable's ordinary appearance. However, when he sees Ausable outsmart Max and save himself, he realizes that true bravery comes from quick thinking and calmness under pressure.