Download the full version of the ebook at ebookname.

com

Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB

3ed. Edition Bassem R. Mahafza

https://ebookname.com/product/radar-systems-analysis-and-
design-using-matlab-3ed-edition-bassem-r-mahafza/

OR CLICK BUTTON

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Download more ebook instantly today at https://ebookname.com

Instant digital products (PDF, ePub, MOBI) available
Download now and explore formats that suit you...

Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB Second

Edition Bassem R. Mahafza

https://ebookname.com/product/radar-systems-analysis-and-design-using-
matlab-second-edition-bassem-r-mahafza/

ebookname.com

Radar Signal Analysis and Processing Using MATLAB 1st

Edition Bassem R. Mahafza

https://ebookname.com/product/radar-signal-analysis-and-processing-
using-matlab-1st-edition-bassem-r-mahafza/

ebookname.com

MATLAB simulations for radar systems design 1st Edition

Elsherbeni

https://ebookname.com/product/matlab-simulations-for-radar-systems-
design-1st-edition-elsherbeni/

ebookname.com

The Oxford History of Historical Writing Vol 1 Beginnings

to AD 600 1st Edition Andrew Feldherr

https://ebookname.com/product/the-oxford-history-of-historical-
writing-vol-1-beginnings-to-ad-600-1st-edition-andrew-feldherr/

ebookname.com
Science and the Bible Evidence Based Christian Belief 1st
Ed. Edition Ted Burge

https://ebookname.com/product/science-and-the-bible-evidence-based-
christian-belief-1st-ed-edition-ted-burge/

ebookname.com

The Ceren Site An Ancient Village Buried by Volcanic Ash

in Central America 2nd Edition Payson D. Sheets

https://ebookname.com/product/the-ceren-site-an-ancient-village-
buried-by-volcanic-ash-in-central-america-2nd-edition-payson-d-sheets/

ebookname.com

Myths Lies and Oil Wars Engdahl

https://ebookname.com/product/myths-lies-and-oil-wars-engdahl/

ebookname.com

Unmasking L A Third Worlds and the City 1st Edition Deepak

Narang Sawhney (Eds.)

https://ebookname.com/product/unmasking-l-a-third-worlds-and-the-
city-1st-edition-deepak-narang-sawhney-eds/

ebookname.com

The Concept of History Dmitri Nikulin

https://ebookname.com/product/the-concept-of-history-dmitri-nikulin/

ebookname.com
Home Extension Design 1st Edition Julian Owen (Author)

https://ebookname.com/product/home-extension-design-1st-edition-
julian-owen-author/

ebookname.com
RADAR SYSTEMS
ANALYSIS AND
DESIGN USING
®
MATLAB
THIRD EDITION

BASSEM R. MAHAFZA
deciBel Research Inc.
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
MATLAB® is a trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. and is used with permission. The MathWorks does not warrant the
accuracy of the text or exercises in this book. This book’s use or discussion of MATLAB® software or related products
does not constitute endorsement or sponsorship by The MathWorks of a particular pedagogical approach or particular
use of the MATLAB® software.

CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2013 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business

No claim to original U.S. Government works

Version Date: 20130417

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4398-8496-6 (eBook - PDF)

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been
made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid-
ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright
holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this
form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may
rectify in any future reprint.

Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or uti-
lized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy-
ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the
publishers.

For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://
www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For
organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.

Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
 Table of Contents

Preface
PART I: Radar Principles
Chapter 1: Definitions and Nomenclature, 3
1.1. Radar Systems Classifications and Bands, 3
1.2. Pulsed and Continuous Wave (CW) Radars, 8
1.3. Range, 9
1.4. Range Resolution, 12
1.5. Doppler Frequency, 14
1.6. Coherence, 20
1.7. Decibel Arithmetic, 21
Problems, 23
Appendix 1-A: Chapter 1 MATLAB® Code Listings, 25
Function “pulse_train.m” Listing, 25
Function “range_resolution.m” Listing, 25
Function “doppler_freq.m” Listing, 26

Chapter 2: Basic Pulsed and Continuous Wave (CW) Radar Operations, 27

2.1. The Radar Range Equation, 27
2.2. Low PRF Radar Equation, 31
2.3. High PRF Radar Equation, 35
2.4. Surveillance Radar Equation, 37
2.5. Radar Equation with Jamming, 42
2.5.1. Self-Screening Jammers (SSJ), 42
2.5.2. Burn-Through Range, 44
2.5.3. Stand-Off Jammers (SOJ), 49
2.6. Range Reduction Factor, 50
2.7. Bistatic Radar Equation, 51
2.8. Radar Losses, 52
2.8.1. Transmit and Receive Losses, 53
2.8.2. Antenna Pattern Loss and Scan Loss, 53
2.8.3. Atmospheric Loss, 53

vii
viii Table of Contents

2.8.4. Collapsing Loss, 53

2.8.5. Processing Loss, 55
2.9. Noise Figure, 57
2.10. Continuous Wave (CW) Radars, 63
2.10.1. CW Radar Equation, 62
2.10.2. Frequency Modulation, 64
2.10.3. Linear Frequency Modulated CW Radar, 68
2.10.4. Multiple Frequency CW Radar, 71
2.11. MATLAB Program “range_calc.m”, 72
Problems, 73
Appendix 2-A: Chapter 2 MATALB Code Listings, 78
Function “radar_eq.m” Listing, 78
Program “Fig2_1.m” Listing, 78
Function “lprf_req.m” Listing, 79
Program “Fig2_2.m” Listing, 80
Function “hprf_req.m” Listing, 80
Program “Fig2_3.m” Listing, 81
Function “power_aperture.m” Listing, 81
Program “Fig2_6.m” Listing, 82
Function “ssj_req.m” Listing, 83
Program “Fig2_7b.m” Listing, 84
Function “sir_req.m” Listing, 84
Program “Fig2_8.m” Listing, 85
Function “burn_thru.m” Listing, 85
Program “Fig2_9.m” Listing, 86
Function “soj_req.m” Listing, 86
Program “Fig2_10.m” Listing, 87
Function “range_clac.m” Listing, 88

PART II: Radar Signals and Signal Processing

Chapter 3: Linear Systems and Complex Signal Representation, 93
3.1. Signal Classifications, 93
3.2. The Fourier Transform, 94
3.3. Systems Classification, 95
3.3.1. Linear and Nonlinear Systems, 95
3.3.2. Time Invariant and Time Varying Systems, 95
3.3.3. Stable and Nonstable Systems, 96
3.3.4. Causal and Noncausal Systems, 96
3.4. Signal Representation Using the Fourier Series, 96
3.5. Convolution and Correlation Integrals, 98
3.5.1. Energy and Power Spectrum Densities, 99
3.6. Bandpass Signals, 102
3.6.1. The Analytic Signal (Pre-Envelop), 103
3.6.2. Pre-Envelop and Complex Envelop of Bandpass Signals, 104
3.7. Spectra of a Few Common Radar Signals, 106
3.7.1. Continuous Wave Signal, 106
3.7.2. Finite Duration Pulse Signal, 107
3.7.3. Periodic Pulse Signal, 108
Table of Contents ix

3.7.4. Finite Duration Pulse Train Signal, 109

3.7.5. Linear Frequency Modulation (LFM) Signal, 111
3.8. Signal Bandwidth and Duration, 116
3.8.1. Effective Bandwidth and Duration Calculation, 117
Single Pulse, 117
Finite Duration Pulse Train Signal, 118
LFM Signal, 119
3.9. Discrete Time Systems and Signals, 120
3.9.1. Sampling Theorem, 121
Lowpass Sampling Theorem, 121
Bandpass Sampling Theorem, 123
3.9.2. The Z-Transform, 124
3.9.3. The Discrete Fourier Transform, 125
3.9.4. Discrete Power Spectrum, 126
3.9.5. Windowing Techniques, 127
3.9.6. Decimation and Interpolation, 129
Decimation, 129
Interpolation, 132
Problems, 133
Appendix 3-A: Chapter 3 MATLAB Code Listings, 137
Program “Fig3_6.m” Listing, 137
Program “Fig3_8.m” Listing, 137
Program “Fig3_10.m” Listing, 139
Appendix 3-B: Fourier Transform Pairs, 140
Appendix 3-C: Z-Transform Pairs, 141

Chapter 4: The Matched Filter Radar Receiver, 143

4.1. The Matched Filter SNR, 143
4.1.1. White Noise Case, 145
4.2.2. The Replica, 147
4.2. General Formula for the Output of the Matched Filter, 147
4.2.1. Stationary Target Case, 148
4.2.2. Moving Target Case, 149
4.3. Waveform Resolution and Ambiguity, 151
4.3.1. Range Resolution, 151
4.3.2. Doppler Resolution, 153
4.4. Range and Doppler Uncertainty, 155
4.4.1. Range Uncertainty, 155
4.4.2. Doppler Uncertainty, 158
4.4.3. Range-Doppler Coupling, 159
Range Error Estimate, 159
Doppler Error Estimate, 161
4.4.4. Range-Doppler Coupling in LFM Signals, 162
4.5. Target Parameter Estimation, 163
4.5.1. What Is an Estimator?, 163
4.5.2. Amplitude Estimation, 164
4.5.3. Phase Estimation, 165
Problems, 165
x Table of Contents

Chapter 5: Ambiguity Function - Analog Waveforms, 169

5.1. Introduction, 169
5.2. Examples of the Ambiguity Function, 170
5.2.1. Single Pulse Ambiguity Function, 170
5.2.2. LFM Ambiguity Function, 173
5.2.3. Coherent Pulse Train Ambiguity Function, 177
5.2.4. Pulse Train Ambiguity Function with LFM, 181
5.3. Stepped Frequency Waveforms, 184
5.4. Nonlinear FM, 186
5.4.1. The Concept of Stationary Phase, 187
5.4.2. Frequency Modulated Waveform Spectrum Shaping, 191
5.5. Ambiguity Diagram Contours, 193
5.6. Interpretation of Range-Doppler Coupling in LFM Signals, 194
Problems, 195
Appendix 5-A: Chapter 5 MATLAB Code Listings, 197
Function “single_pulse_ambg.m” Listing, 197
Program “Fig5_2.m” Listing, 197
Program “Fig5_4.m” Listing, 197
Function “lfm_ambg.m” Listing, 198
Program “Fig5_5.m” Listing, 198
Program “Fig5_6.m” Listing, 199
Function “train_ambg.m” Listing, 199
Program “Fig5_8.m” Listing, 200
Program “Fig5_9.m” Listing, 200
Function “lfm_ambg_lfm.m” Listing, 201
Program “Fig5_10.m” Listing, 202
Program “Fig5_15.m” Listing, 202

Chapter 6: Ambiguity Function - Discrete Coded Waveforms, 203

6.1. Discrete Code Signal Representation, 203
6.2. Pulse Train Codes, 204
6.3. Phase Coding, 209
6.3.1. Binary Phase Codes, 209
Barker Code, 210
Pseudo-Random Number (PRN) Codes, 218
Linear Shift Register Generators, 219
Maximal Length Sequence Characteristic Polynomial, 221
6.3.2. Polyphase Codes, 225
Frank Codes, 225
6.4. Frequency Codes, 228
6.4.1. Costas Codes, 228
6.5. Ambiguity Plots for Discrete Coded Waveforms, 230
Problems, 231
Appendix 6-A: Chapter 6 MATLAB Code Listings, 232
Program “Fig6_2.m” Listing, 232
Function “plot_figures_chapter6.m” Listing, 232
Program “Fig6_3.m” Listing, 233
Program “Fig6_8_10.m” Listing, 233
Table of Contents xi

Program “Fig6_15_16.m” Listing, 234

Program “Fig6_17.m” Listing, 235
Function “ambiguity_code.m” Listing, 235

Chapter 7: Pulse Compression, 237

7.1. Time-Bandwidth Product, 237
7.2. Radar Equation with Pulse Compression, 238
7.3. Basic Principle of Pulse Compression, 239
7.4. Correlation Processor, 241
7.5. Stretch Processor, 247
7.5.1. Single LFM Pulse, 247
7.5.2. Stepped Frequency Waveforms, 254
Range Resolution and Range Ambiguity in SFW, 256
7.5.3. Effect of Target Velocity, 261
Problems, 263
Appendix 7-A: Chapter 7 MATLAB Code Listings, 265
Program “Fig7_3.m” Listing, 265
Function “matched_filter.m” Listing, 265
Function “power_integer_2.m” Listing, 267
Function “stretch.m” Listing, 267
Function “SWF.m” Listing, 269
Program “Fig7_20.m” Listing, 270

PART III: Special Radar Considerations

Chapter 8: Radar Wave Propagation, 275
8.1. The Earth Impact on the Radar Equation, 275
8.2. Earth’s Atmosphere, 275
8.3. Atmospheric Models, 277
8.3.1. Index of Refraction in the Troposphere, 279
8.3.2. Index of refraction in the Ionosphere, 280
8.3.3. Mathematical Model for Computing Refraction, 281
8.3.4. Stratified Atmospheric Refraction Model, 283
8.4. Four-Third Earth Model, 287
8.4.1. Target Height Equation, 287
8.5. Ground Reflection, 289
8.5.1. Smooth Surface Reflection Coefficient, 289
8.5.2. Divergence, 293
8.5.3. Rough Surface Reflection, 295
8.5.4. Total Reflection Coefficient, 296
8.6 The Pattern Propagation Factor, 296
8.6.1. Flat Earth, 299
8.6.2. Spherical Earth, 301
8.6.3. MATLAB Program “multipath.m,” 303
8.7. Diffraction, 303
8.8. Atmospheric Attenuation, 310
8.8.1. Atmospheric Absorption, 310
xii Table of Contents

8.8.2. Atmospheric Attenuation Plots, 312

8.9. Attenuation Due to Precipitation, 317
Problems, 318
Appendix 8-A: Chapter 8 MATALB Code Listings, 320
Function “refraction.m” Listing, 320
Program “Fig8_7.m” Listing, 321
Function “ref_coef.m” Listing, 321
Program “Fig8_11_12.m” Listing, 322
Program “Fig8_13_14.m” Listing, 322
Function “divergence.m” Listing, 323
Function “surf_rough.m” Listing, 323
Program “Fig8_17.m” Listing, 324
Function “multipath.m” Listing, 324
Function “airyz01.m” Listing, 326
Program “Fig8_29.m” Listing, 327
Program “Fig8_30.m” Listing, 327
Function “atmo_absorp.m” Listing, 329
Program “Fig8_31.m” Listing, 330
Function “absorption_range.m” Listing, 330
Program “Fig8_33.m” Listing, 331
Function “atmospheric_attn.m” Listing, 332
Program “Fig8_34_35.m” Listing, 332
Program “Fig8_36.m” Listing, 333
Program “Fig8_37.m” Listing, 334

Chapter 9: Radar Clutter, 335

9.1. Clutter Definition, 335
9.2. Surface Clutter, 335
9.2.1. Radar Equation for Area Clutter - Airborne Radar, 337
9.3. Volume Clutter, 339
9.3.1. Radar Equation for Volume Clutter, 341
9.4. Surface Clutter RCS, 342
9.4.1. Single Pulse Low PRF Case, 342
9.4.2. High PRF Case, 348
9.5. Clutter Components, 349
9.6. Clutter Backscatter Coefficient Statistical Models, 351
9.6.1. Surface Clutter Case, 352
9.6.2. Volume Clutter Case, 353
Problems, 355
Appendix 9-A: Chapter 9 MATLAB Code Listings, 356
Function “clutter_rcs.m” Listing, 356
Program “Fig9_9_10.m” Listing, 357
Program “Fig9_12_13.m” Listing, 358
Program “Fig9_14.m” Listing, 359

Chapter 10: Moving Target Indicator (MTI) and Pulse Doppler Radars, 361
10.1. Clutter Power Spectrum Density, 361
Table of Contents xiii

10.2. Concept of a Moving Target Indicator (MTI), 362

10.2.1. Single Delay Line Canceler, 363
10.2.2. Double Delay Line Canceler, 364
10.2.3. Delay Lines with Feedback (Recursive Filters), 367
10.3. PRF Staggering, 368
10.4. MTI Improvement Factor, 371
10.4.1. Two-Pulse MTI Case, 372
10.4.2. The General Case, 374
10.5. Subclutter Visibility (SCV), 375
10.6. Delay Line Cancelers with Optimal Weights, 375
10.7. Pulse Doppler Radars, 377
10.7.1. Pulse Doppler Radar Signal Processing, 381
10.7.2. Resolving Range Ambiguities, 381
10.7.3. Resolving Doppler Ambiguities, 383
10.8. Phase Noise, 387
Problems, 393
Appendix 10-A: Chapter 10 MATLAB Code Listings, 395
Function “single_canceler.m” Listing, 395
Function “double_canceler.m” Listing, 395
Program “Fig10_8.m” Listing, 396
Program “Fig10_9.m” Listing, 396
Program “Fig10_10.m” Listing, 397
Program “Fig10_24.m” Listing, 398
Program “Fig10_25.m” Listing, 398
Program “Fig10_26.m” Listing, 398

PART IV: Radar Detection

Chapter 11: Random Variables and Random Processes, 403
11.1. Random Variables, 403
11.2. Multivariate Gaussian Random Vector, 406
11.2.1. Complex Multivariate Gaussian Random Vector, 408
11.3. Rayleigh Random Variables, 409
11.4. The Chi-Square Random Variables, 410
11.4.1. Central Chi-Square Random Variable with N Degrees of Freedom, 410
11.4.2. Non-central Chi-Square Random Variable with N Degrees of Freedom,
411
11.5. Random Processes, 411
11.6. The Gaussian Random Process, 413
11.6.1. Lowpass Gaussian Random Processes, 413
11.6.2. Bandpass Gaussian Random Processes, 414
11.6.3. The Envelope of a Bandpass Gaussian Process, 415
Problems, 416

Chapter 12: Single Pulse Detection, 419

12.1. Single Pulse with Known Parameters, 419
12.2. Single Pulse with Known Amplitude and Unknown Phase, 422
xiv Table of Contents

12.2.1. Probability of False Alarm, 426

12.2.2. Probability of Detection, 427
Problems, 430
Appendix 12-A: Chapter 12 MATLAB Code Listings, 431
Function “que_func.m” Listing, 431
Function “marcumsq.m” Listing, 431
Program “Fig12_5.m” Listing, 432

Chapter 13: Detection of Fluctuating Targets, 433

13.1. Introduction, 433
13.2. Pulse Integration, 433
13.2.1. Coherent Integration, 434
13.2.2. Noncoherent Integration, 435
13.2.3. Improvement Factor and Integration Loss, 436
13.3. Target Fluctuation: The Chi-Square Family of Targets, 438
13.4. Probability of False Alarm Formulation for a Square Law Detector, 439
13.4.1. Square Law Detection, 441
13.5. Probability of Detection Calculation, 443
13.5.1. Detection of Swerling 0 (Swerling V) Targets, 443
13.5.2. Detection of Swerling I Targets, 445
13.5.3. Detection of Swerling II Targets, 445
13.5.4. Detection of Swerling III Targets, 448
13.5.5. Detection of Swerling IV Targets, 450
13.6. Computation of the Fluctuation Loss, 451
13.7. Cumulative Probability of Detection, 453
13.8. Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR), 456
13.8.1. Cell Averaging CFAR (Single Pulse), 456
13.8.2. Cell Averaging CAFR with Noncoherent Integration, 458
13.9. M-out-of-N Detection, 459
13.10. The Radar Equation Revisited, 460
Problems, 462
Appendix 13-A: The Incomplete Gamma Function, 465
The Gamma Function, 465
The Incomplete Gamma Function, 465
Appendix 13-B: Chapter 13 MATLAB Code Listings, 467
Function “improv_fac.m” Listing, 467
Program “Fig13_2.m” Listing, 467
Function “threshold.m” Listing, 468
Program “Fig13_4.m” Listing, 468
Function “pd_swerling5.m” Listing, 469
Program “Fig13_5.m” Listing, 470
Function “pd_swerling1.m” Listing, 470
Program “Fig13_6.m” Listing, 471
Program “Fig13_7.m” Listing, 471
Function “pd_swerling2.m” Listing, 472
Program “Fig13_8.m” Listing, 473
Program “Fig13_9.m” Listing, 473
Function “pd_swerling3.m” Listing, 474
Table of Contents xv

Program “Fig13_10.m” Listing, 474

Program “Fig13_11.m” Listing, 475
Function “pd_swerling4.m” Listing, 475
Program “Fig13_12.m” Listing, 477
Function “fluct_loss.m” Listing, 477
Program “Fig13_13.m” Listing, 479
Program “Fig13A_1.m” Listing, 479

PART V: Radar Special Topics

Chapter 14: Radar Cross Section (RCS), 485
14.1. RCS Definition, 485
14.2. RCS Dependency on Aspect Angle and Frequency, 487
14.3. RCS Dependency on Polarization, 490
14.3.1. Normalized Electric Field, 490
14.3.2. Polarization, 490
14.3.3. Target Scattering Matrix, 493
14.4. RCS of Simple Objects, 494
14.4.1. Sphere, 495
14.4.2. Ellipsoid, 497
14.4.3. Circular Flat Plate, 500
14.4.4. Truncated Cone (Frustum), 501
14.4.5. Cylinder, 505
14.4.6. Rectangular Flat Plate, 507
14.4.7. Triangular Flat Plate, 510
14.5. RCS of Complex Objects, 512
14.6. RCS Prediction Methods, 513
14.6.1. Computational Electromagnetics, 514
14.6.2. Finite Difference Time Domain Method, 514
14.6.3. Finite Element Method, 518
14.6.4. Integral Equations, 518
14.6.5. Geometrical Optics, 519
14.6.6. Physical Optics, 520
Rectangular Plate, 520
N-Sided Polygon, 521
14.6.7. Edge Diffraction, 522
14.7. Multiple Bounce, 522
Problems, 523
Appendix 14-A: Chapter 14 MATALB Code Listings, 525
Function “rcs_aspect.m” Listing, 525
Program “Fig14_3.m” Listing, 525
Function “rcs_frequency.m” Listing, 526
Program “Fig14_5_6.m” Listing, 526
Program “Fig14_10.m” Listing, 527
Function “rcs_ellipsoid.m” Listing, 528
Program “Fig14_112a.m” Listing, 528
Function “rcs_circ_palte.m” Listing, 529
Function “rcs_frustum.m” Listing, 530
Function “rcs_cylinder.m” Listing, 531
xvi Table of Contents

Program “Fig14_19.m” Listing, 532

Function “rcs_rect_plate.m” Listing, 533
Function “rcs_isosceles.m” Listing, 534
Function “rcs_cylinder_cmplx.m” Listing, 535
Program “fdtd.m” Listing, 536
Program “rectplate.m” Listing, 538
Program “polygon.m” Listing, 539

Chapter 15: Phased Array Antennas, 541

15.1. Directivity, Power Gain, and Effective Aperture, 541
15.2. Near and Far Fields, 542
15.3. General Arrays, 543
15.4. Linear Arrays, 546
15.4.1. Array Tapering, 549
15.4.2. Computation of the Radiation Pattern via the DFT, 551
15.5. Planar Arrays, 559
15.5.1. Rectangular Grid Arrays, 560
15.5.2. Circular Grid Arrays, 562
15.5.3. Concentric Grid Circular Arrays, 569
15.5.4. Rectangular Grid with Circular Boundary Arrays, 570
15.5.5. Hexagonal Grid Arrays, 570
15.6. Array Scan Loss, 586
15.7. Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) - Linear Array, 588
Problems, 591
Appendix 15-A: Chapter 15 MATLAB Code Listings, 593
Program “Fig15_5.m” Listing, 593
Program “Fig15_7.m” Listing, 594
Function “linear_array.m” Listing, 594
Function “circular_array.m” Listing, 596
Function “rect_array.m” Listing, 598
Function “circ_array.m” Listing, 601
Function “rect_to_circ.m” Listing, 604
Program “Fig15_50.m” Listing, 605

Chapter 16: Adaptive Signal Processing, 607

16.1. Nonadaptive Beamforming, 607
16.2. Adaptive Signal Processing Using Least Mean Square (LMS), 611
16.3. The LMS Adaptive Array Processing, 615
16.4. Sidelobe Cancelers (SLC), 623
16.5. Space Time Adaptive Processing (STAP), 624
16.5.1. Space Time Processing, 624
16.5.2. Space Time Adaptive Processing, 627
Problems, 631
Appendix 16-A: Chapter 16 MATLAB Code Listings, 632
Function “LMS.m” Listing, 632
Program “Fig16_4_5.m” Listing, 632
Function “adaptive_array_lms.m” Listing, 633
Table of Contents xvii

Function “la_sampled_wave.m” Listing, 634

Function “Linear_array_FFT.m” Listing, 634
Program “run_stap.m” Listing, 635
Function “stap_std.m” Listing, 635
Function “stap_smaa.m” Listing, 637
Function “st_steering_vector.m” Listing, 638
Function “smaa_st_steering_vector.m” Listing, 638

Chapter 17: Target Tracking, 639

Single Target Tracking
17.1. Angle Tracking, 639
17.1.1. Sequential Lobing, 640
17.1.2. Conical Scan, 641
17.2. Amplitude Comparison Monopulse, 644
17.3. Phase Comparison Monopulse, 647
17.4. Range Tracking, 653

Multiple Target Tracking

17.5. Track-While-Scan (TWS), 655
17.6. State Variable Representation of an LTI System, 656
17.7. The LTI System of Interest, 660
17.8. Fixed-Gain Tracking Filters, 661
17.8.1. The DE Filter, 664
17.8.2. The DEJ Filter, 667
17.9. The Kalman Filter, 677
17.9.1. The Singer DEJ -Kalman Filter, 679
17.9.2. Relationship between Kalamn and DEJ Filters, 681
17.10. MATLAB Kalman Filter Simulation, 685
Problems, 693
Appendix 17-A: Chapter 17 MATLAB Code Listings, 695
Function “mono_pulse.m” Listing, 695
Function “ghk_tracker.m” Listing, 695
Function “ghk_tracker1.m” Listing, 696
Program “Fig17_20s.m” Listing, 697
Function “kalman_filter.m” Listing, 697
Program “Fig17_29.m” Listing, 698
Program “Fig17_30.m” Listing, 699
Function “maketraj.m” Listing, 699
Function “addnoise.m” Listing, 700
Function “kalfilt.m” Listing, 701

Chapter 18: Tactical Synthetic Aperture Radars, 703

18.1. Introduction, 703
18.1.1. Side Looking SAR Geometry, 704
18.2. SAR Design Considerations, 706
18.3. SAR Radar Equation, 711
18.4. SAR Signal Processing, 712
xviii Table of Contents

18.5. Side Looking SAR Doppler Processing, 713

18.6. SAR Imaging Using Doppler Processing, 717
18.7. Range Walk, 717
18.8. A Three-Dimensional SAR Imaging Technique, 717
18.81. Background, 719
18.8.2. DFTSQM Operation and Signal Processing, 719
Linear Arrays, 719
Rectangular Arrays, 721
18.8.3. Geometry for DFTSQM SAR Imaging, 722
18.8.4. Slant Range Equation, 724
18.8.5. Signal Synthesis, 726
18.8.6. Electronic Processing, 727
18.8.7. Derivation of Eq. (18.71), 728
18.8.8. Non-Zero Taylor Series Coefficient for the kth Range Cell, 730
Problems, 732
Appendix 18-A: Chapter 18 MATLAB Code Listings, 733
Program “Fig18_12_13.m” Listings, 733

Bibliography, 735
Index, 743
 Preface

In the year 2000 the first edition of Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB®1
was published. It was developed and organized based on my years of teaching graduate level
courses on radar systems analysis and design including advanced topics in radar signal pro-
cessing. At the time, the primary motivation behind the book was to introduce a college-suit-
able comprehensive textbook that provides hands-on experience with MATLAB companion
software. This book very quickly turned into a bestseller, which prompted the publication of its
second edition in the year 2005. The second edition continued in the same vein as its predeces-
sor. It was updated, expanded, and reorganized to include advances in the field and to be more
logical in sequence. New topics were introduced in the body of the text, and much of the MAT-
LAB code was updated and improved upon to reflect the advancements of the latest MATLAB
release.
Since the publication of the first edition, Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MAT-
LAB filled a void in the market by presenting a comprehensive and self-contained text on radar
systems analysis and design. It was the first book on the market to provide companion MAT-
LAB software to support the theoretical and mathematical discussion found within the pages
of the text. These features were also supported with a detailed solutions manual of all end-of-
chapter problems. This book quickly became the standard adopted by many books published
on the subject; none of which, however, matched the clear presentation nor the transparency
offered by this author, particularly when considering the end-of-chapter solutions manual and
the complete and comprehensive set of MATLAB code, which was made available to all of the
book audience without any restrictions. Users of this book were not only able to reproduce all
plots found in the text, but they also had the ability to change the code by inputting their own
parameters so that they could generate their own specific plots and outputs that met their own
unique academic interest.
In addition to my academic tenure and experience in teaching the subject at the collegiate
level, I have also taught numerous industry courses and conducted many seminars on the sub-
ject of radar systems. Based on this teaching experience, the following conclusion has become
very evident to me: The need and the demand for a comprehensive textbook / reference book
focused on all aspects of radar systems design and analysis remain very strong. Add to this the

1. All MATLAB® functions and programs provided in this book were developed using MATLAB R2011a version
7.12.0.635 with the Signal Processing Toolbox, on a PC with Windows XP Professional operating system. MAT-
LAB® is a registered trademark of the The MathWorks, Inc. For product information, please contact: The Math-
Works, Inc., 3 Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA 01760-2098 USA. Web: www.mathworks.com.

xix
xx Preface

fact that many college professors have adopted this book as the primary textbook for their
courses on radar systems. Therefore, my desire to write this third edition was turned into real-
ity and has materialized into this product.
It is my view that the third edition of Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB is
warranted for the following reasons: (1) bring the text to a more modern status to reflect the
current state of the art; (2) incorporate into the new edition much of the feedback this author
has received from professors using this book as a text and from other practicing engineers; (3)
introduce several new topics that have not found much treatment by other authors, and even
when they did, it was not on a level comparable to the comprehensive and exhaustive approach
adopted by this author in the first two editions; (4) add many new end-of chapter problems; (5)
restructure the presentation to be more convenient for users to adopt the text for either three
graduate-level courses, or one senior-level and two graduate-level courses; and (6) take advan-
tage of the new features offered by the latest MATLAB releases.
Note that all MATLAB code provided in this book was designed as an academic standalone
tool and is not adequate for other purposes. The code was written in a way to assist the reader
in gaining better understanding of the theory. The code was not developed, nor is it intended to
be used as part of an open loop or a closed loop simulation of any kind. The MATLAB code
found in this textbook can be downloaded from this book’s web-page on the CRC Press web-
site. Simply use your favorite web browser, go to www.crcpress.com, and search for keyword
“Mahafza” to locate this book’s web page.
Just like the first and second editions, this third edition provides easy-to-follow mathemati-
cal derivations of all equations and formulas present within the book, resulting in a user
friendly coverage suitable for advanced as well as introductory level college courses. This
third edition provides comprehensive up-to-date coverage of radar systems design and analysis
issues. Users of this book will need only one book instead of several, to gain essential under-
standing of radar design, analysis, and signal processing. This edition contains numerous
graphical plots and supporting artwork. The MATLAB code companion of this edition will
help users evaluate the trade-offs between different radar parameters.
This book is composed of 18 chapters and is divided into 5 parts: Part I, Radar Principles,
Part II, Radar Signals and Signal Processing, Part III, Special Radar Considerations, Part IV,
Radar Detection, and Part V, Radar Special Topics. Part I comprises Chapters 1 and 2. Chapter
1, Definitions and Nomenclature, presents the basic radar definitions and establishes much of
the nomenclature used throughout the text. In Chapter 2, Basic Pulsed and Continuous Wave
(CW) Radar Operations, the radar equation is derived for both pulsed and CW radars, while
other related material such as radar losses and noise are also discussed in details. The radar
equation in the presence of electronic counter measures (ECM) is derived, as well as the
bistatic radar equation.
Part II comprises Chapters 3 through 7. The main thrust of this part of the book is radar sig-
nals or waveforms and radar signal processing. Chapter 3, Linear Systems and Complex Signal
Representation, contains a top-level discussion of elements of signal theory that are relevant to
radar design and radar signal processing. It is assumed that the reader has sufficient and ade-
quate background in signals and systems as well as in the Fourier transform and its associated
properties. Lowpass and bandpass signals are discussed in the context of radar applications.
Continuous as well as discrete systems are analyzed, and the sampling theorem is presented.
Chapter 4, The Matched Filter Radar Receiver, is focused on the matched filter. It presents
the unique characteristic of the matched filter and develops a general formula for the output of
Preface xxi

the matched filter that is valid for any waveform. Chapter 5, Ambiguity Function - Analog
Waveforms, and Chapter 6, Ambiguity Function - Discrete Coded Waveforms, analyze the out-
put of the matched filter in the context of the ambiguity function. In Chapter 5 the most com-
mon analog radar waveforms are analyzed; this includes the single unmodulated pulse, Linear
Frequency Modulation (LFM) pulse, unmodulated pulse train, LFM pulse train, stepped fre-
quency waveforms, and nonlinear FM waveforms. Chapter 6 is concerned with discrete coded
waveforms. In this chapter, unmodulated pulse-train codes are analyzed as well as binary
codes, polyphase codes, and frequency codes. Chapter 7, Pulse Compression, contains details
of radar signal processing using pulse compression. The correlation processor and stretch pro-
cessor are presented. High range resolution processing using stepped frequency waveforms is
also analyzed.
Part III comprises three chapters. Chapter 8, Radar Wave propagation, extends the free
space analysis presented in the earlier chapters to include the effect of the atmosphere on radar
performance. Topics such as refraction, diffraction, atmospheric attenuation, surface reflection,
and multipath are discussed in a fair amount of detail. The subject of radar clutter is in Chapter
9, Radar Clutter. Area clutter as well as volume clutter are defined and the radar equation is re-
derived to reflect the importance of clutter, where in this case, the signal to interference ratio
becomes more critical than the signal to noise ratio. A step-by-step mathematical derivation of
clutter RCS is presented, and the statistical models for the clutter backscatter coefficient is also
presented. Chapter 10, Moving Target Indicator (MTI) and Pulse Doppler Radars, discusses
how delay line cancelers can be used to mitigate the impact of clutter within the radar signal
processor. PRF staggering is analyzed in the context of blind speeds and in the context of
resolving range and Doppler ambiguities. Finally, pulsed Doppler radars are briefly analyzed.
In Part IV, radar detection is discussed and analyzed. The material presented in this part of
the book requires a strong background in random variables and random processes. Therefore,
Chapter 11, Random Variables and Random Processes, presents a review of the subject, and is
written in such a way that it only highlights the major points of the subject. Users of this book
are advised to use this chapter as a means for a quick top-level review of random variables and
random processes. Instructors using this book as a text may assign Chapter 11 as a reading
assignment to their students. Single pulse detection with known and unknown signal parame-
ters is in Chapter 12, Single Pulse Detection. Chapter 13, Detection of Fluctuating Targets,
extends the analysis of Chapter 12 to include target fluctuation where the Swerling target mod-
els are discussed. Detailed discussion of coherent and noncoherent integration in the context of
a square law detector is in this chapter. An overview of CFAR, cumulative probability of detec-
tion, and M-out-of-N detection are also discussed.
Part V of this book addresses a few specialized topics in radar systems. In Chapter 14, Radar
Cross Section (RCS), the RCS dependency on aspect angle, frequency, and polarization are dis-
cussed. A target scattering matrix is developed. RCS formulas for many simple objects are pre-
sented. Complex object RCS is discussed, and RCS prediction methods are introduced.
Chapter 15, Phased Array Antennas, starts by developing the general array formulation. Linear
arrays and several planar array configurations such as rectangular, circular, rectangular with
circular boundaries, and concentric circular arrays are discussed. Beam steering with and with-
out using a finite number of bits is analyzed. Scan loss is also presented. A concept of a multi-
ple input multiple output radar system developed by this author is discussed and analyzed. In
Chapter 16, Adaptive Signal Processing, the concept behind conventual and adaptive beam-
forming is discussed. Adaptive signal processing using the least mean square algorithm is ana-
lyzed. Adaptive linear arrays and complex weights computation in the context of the least
xxii Preface

mean square algorithm are presented. Finally, this chapter discusses, space time adaptive pro-
cessing.
Chapter 17, Target Tracking, discusses target tracking radar systems. The first part of this
chapter covers the subject of single target tracking. Topics such as sequential lobing, conical
scan, monopulse, and range tracking are discussed in detail. The second part of this chapter
introduces multiple target tracking techniques. Fixed gain tracking filters such as the DE and
the DEJ filters are presented in detail. The concept of the Kalman filter is introduced. Special
cases of the Kalman filter are analyzed in depth and a MATLAB-based simulation of the
Kalamn filter is developed. The last chapter of this book is Chapter 18, Tactical Synthetic
Aperture Radars. The topics of this chapter include: SAR signal processing, SAR design con-
siderations, and the SAR radar equation. Arrays operated in sequential mode are discussed in
this chapter.
This book is written primarily as a graduate-level textbook, although parts of it can be used
as a senior level course on radar systems. A companion solutions manual has been developed
for use by professors that adopt this book as a text. This solutions manual is available through
the publisher. Based on my own teaching experience, the following breakdown can be utilized
by professors using this book as a text:
1. Option I: Chapters 1-4 (with omission of certain advanced sections) can be used as a
senior-level course. Chapters 5-10 and the omitted sections in the previous course can be
used as a first graduate level course. Finally, Chapters 11-18 can be used as a second
advanced graduate-level course.
2. Option II: Chapters 1-4 can be used as an introductory graduate-level course. Chapters 5 10
can be used as a second graduate-level course, while Chapters 11-18 can be used as an
advanced graduate course on the subject.

Bassem R. Mahafza
Huntsville, Alabama
United States of America
November, 2012
 Part I

Radar Principles

Chapter 1:
Definitions and Nomenclature
Radar Systems Classification and Bands
Pulsed and Continuous Wave (CW) Radars
Range
Range Resolution
Doppler Frequency
Coherence
Decibel Arithmetic
Problems
Appendix 1-A: Chapter 1 MATLAB Code Listings

Chapter 2:
Basic Pulsed and Continuous Wave (CW) Radar Operations
The Radar Range Equation
Low PRF Radar Equation
High PRF Radar Equation
Surveillance Radar Equation
Radar Equation with Jamming
Range Reduction Factor
Bistatic Radar Equation
Radar Losses
Noise Figure
Continuous Wave (CW) Radars

1
2 Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB®

MATLAB Program “range_calc.m”

Problems
Appendix 2-A: Chapter 2 MATLAB Code Listings
Part I - Radar Principles

Chapter 1

Definitions and
Nomenclature

This chapter presents some basic radar definitions and establishes much of the nomencla-
ture used throughout this text. The word radar is an abbreviation for radio detection and rang-
ing. In most cases, radar systems use modulated waveforms and directive antennas to transmit
electromagnetic energy into a specific volume in space to search for targets. Objects (targets)
within a search volume will reflect portions of the incident energy (radar returns or echoes) in
the direction of the radar. These echoes are then processed by the radar receiver to extract tar-
get information such as range, velocity, angular position, and other target identifying charac-
teristics.

1.1. Radar Systems Classifications and Bands

Radars can be classified as ground-based, airborne, spaceborne, or ship-based radar systems.
They can also be classified into numerous categories based on the specific radar characteris-
tics, such as the frequency band, antenna type, and waveforms utilized. Radar systems using
continuous waveforms, modulated or otherwise, are classified as Continuous Wave (CW)
radars. Alternatively, radar systems using time-limited pulsed waveforms are classified as
Pulsed Radars. Another radar systems classification is concerned with the mission and/or the
functionality of the specific radar. This includes: weather, acquisition and search, tracking,
track-while-scan, fire control, early warning, over-the-horizon, terrain following, and terrain
avoidance radars. Phased array radars utilize phased array antennas, and are often called multi-
function (multimode) radars. A phased array is a composite antenna formed from two or more
basic radiators. Array antennas synthesize narrow directive beams that may be steered,
mechanically or electronically. Electronic steering is achieved by controlling the phase of the
electric current feeding the array elements, and thus the name phased arrays is adopted.
Historically, radars were first developed as military tools. It is for this primary reason the
most common radar systems classification is the letter or band designation originally used by
the military during and after World War II. This letter or band designation has also been
adopted as an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standard. In recent
years, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has adopted a new band designation with
easier abecedarian letters. Figure 1.1 shows the spectrum associated with these two letter or
band radar classifications, while Table 1.1 presents the same information in a structured for-
mat.

3
4 Radar Systems Analysis and Design Using MATLAB®

Mainly military
radars

Figure 1.1. Radar systems band or letter classification.

Table 1.1. Radar systems band or letter classification.

Frequency range in Frequency range in GHz

Letter GHz (IEEE (NATO or New band
designation Standard) designation)
HF 0.003 - 0.03 A
VHF 0.03 - 0.3 A<0.25; B>0.25
UHF 0.3 - 1.0 B<0.5; C>0.5
L-band 1.0 - 2.0 D
S-band 2.0 - 4.0 E<3.0; F>3.0
C-band 4.0 - 8.0 G<6.0; H>6.0
X-band 8.0 - 12.5 I<10.0; J>10.0
Ku-band 12.5 - 18.0 J
K-band 18.0 - 26.5 J<20.0; K>20.0
Ka-band 26.5 - 40.0 K
V & W or Normally >34.0 L<60.0; M>60.0
Millimeter
Wave (MMW)

High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) Radars (A- and B-Bands):
These radar bands below 300MHz represent the frontier of radio technology at the time during
the World War II. However, in the modern radar era, these frequencies bands are used for early
warning radars. These radars utilize the electromagnetic waves’ reflection off the ionosphere to
detect targets beyond the horizon, and so they are called Over-the-Horizon Radars (OTHR).
Some examples include the United States (U.S.) Navy Relocatable over-the-horizon Radar
(ROTHR) shown in Fig. 1.2, and the Russian Woodpecker radar shown in Fig. 1.3. By using
these low HF and VHF frequency bands, one can use high-power transmitters. At these fre-
quencies, the electromagnetic wave atmospheric attenuation is small and can be overcome by
using high-power transmitters. Radar angular measurement accuracies are limited in these
bands because lower frequencies require antennas with significant physical size, thus limiting
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
the years rolled on, the bitterness of those memories grew less bitter
and still the sweet remained.
Presently, as for the hundredth time the beloved name met my
eye, there came upon me a yearning to creep back with her into the
sunny past; to forget, if only for a short hour, the hideous anxieties of
the present and in memory to walk with her once more “along the
meads of asphodel.”
Halting before the box, I stood and lifted it tenderly to the table
and having unlocked it, raised the lid and looked thoughtfully into the
interior. Then, one by one, I lifted out my treasures, set them out in
order on the table and sat down to look at them and let them speak
to me their message of peace and consolation.
To a stranger’s eye they were a mere collection of odds and
ends. Some would have been recognizable as relics of the more
conventional type. There were several photographs of the dead girl,
some taken by myself, and a tress of red-gold hair—such hair as I
had been told often glorifies the victims whom consumption had
marked for its own. It had been cut off for me by Barbara when she
took her own tress, and tied up with a blue ribbon. But it was not
these orthodox relics that spoke to me most intimately. I had no need
of their aid to call up the vision of her person. The things that set my
memory working were the records of actions and experiences; the
sketch-books, the loose sketches and the little plaster plaques and
medallions that she had made with my help after she had become
bed-ridden and could go no more abroad to sketch. Every one of
these had its story to tell, its vision to call up.
I turned over the sketches—simple but careful pencil drawings for
the most part, for Stella, like me, had more feeling for form than for
colour—and recalled the making of them; the delightful rambles
across the sunny meadows or through the cool woodlands, the
solemn planting of sketching-stools and earnest consultation on the
selection and composition of the subjects. These were the happiest
days, before the chilly hand of the destroyer had been laid on its
chosen victim and there was still a long and sunny future to be
vaguely envisaged.
And then I turned to the little plaques and medallions which she
had modelled and under my supervision and of which I had made
the plaster moulds and casts. These called up sadder memories, but
yet they spoke of an even closer and more loving companionship; for
each work was, in a way, a joint achievement over which we had
triumphed and rejoiced together. So it happened that, although the
shadow of sickness, and at last of death, brooded over them, it was
on these relics that I tended to linger most lovingly.
Here was the slate that I had got for her to stick the clay on and
which she used to hold propped up against her knees as she worked
with never-failing enthusiasm through the long, monotonous days,
and even, when she was well enough, far into the night by the light
of the shaded candle. Here were the simple modelling-tools and the
little sponge and the Camel-hair brush with which she loved to put
the final finish on the damp clay reliefs. Here was Lanterri’s priceless
text-book over which we used to pore together and laud that
incomparable teacher. Here were the plaques, medals and
medallions that we had prised out, with bated breath, from their too-
adherent moulds. And here—the last and saddest relic—was the
wax mould from which no cast had ever been made, the final,
crowning work of those deft, sensitive fingers.
For the thousandth time, I picked it up and let the light fall
obliquely across its hollows. The work was a medal some three
inches across, a portrait of Stella, herself, modelled from a profile
photograph that I had taken for the purpose. It was an excellent
likeness and unquestionably the best piece of modelling that she had
ever done.
Often, I had intended to take the cast from it, but always had
been restrained by a vague reluctance to disturb the mould. Now, as
I looked at the delicate, sunken impression, I had again the feeling
that this, her last work, ought to be finished; and I was still debating
the matter with the mould in my hand when I heard a quick step
upon the stair, followed by a characteristic knock on my door.
My first impulse was to hustle my treasures back into their box
before answering the summons. But this was almost instantly
followed by a revulsion. I recognized the knock as Thorndyke’s; and
somehow there came upon me a desire to share my memories with
him. He had shown a strangely sympathetic insight into my feelings
towards Stella. He had read my diary. He now knew the whole story;
and he was the kindest, the most loyal and most discreet of friends.
Gently laying down the mould I went to the door and threw it open.
“I saw your light burning as I passed just now,” said Thorndyke as
he entered and shook my hand warmly, “so I thought I would take
the opportunity to drop in and return your diary. I hope I am not
disturbing you. If I am, you must treat me as a friend and eject me.”
“Not at all, Thorndyke,” I replied. “On the contrary, you would be
doing me a charity if you would stay and smoke a companionable
pipe.”
“Good,” said he, “then I will give myself the pleasure of a quiet
gossip. But what is amiss, Mayfield?” he continued, laying a friendly
hand on my shoulder and looking me over critically. “You look worn,
and worried and depressed. You are not letting your mind dwell too
much, I hope, on the tragedy that has come unbidden into your life?”
“I am afraid I am,” I replied. “The horrible affair haunts me.
Suspicion and mystery are in the very air I breathe. A constant
menace seems to hang over all my friends, so that I am in continual
dread of some new catastrophe. I have just ascertained that
Wallingford is really being watched and shadowed; and not only
Wallingford but even Miss Norris.”
He did not appear surprised or seek for further information. He
merely nodded and looked into my face with grave sympathy.
“Put it away, Mayfield,” said he. “That is my counsel to you. Try to
forget it. You have put the investigation into my hands. Leave it there
and wash your own of it. You did not kill Harold Monkhouse.
Whoever did must pay the penalty if ever the crime should be
brought home to the perpetrator. And if it never can be, it were better
that you and all of us should let it sink into oblivion rather than allow
it to remain to poison the lives of innocent persons. Let us forget it
now. I see you were trying to.”
I had noticed that when he first entered the room, he cast a
single, swift glance at the table which, I was sure, had
comprehended every object on it. Then he had looked away and
never again let his eyes stray in that direction. But now, as he
finished speaking, he glanced once more at the table, and this time
with undisguised interest.
 “Yes,” I admitted. “I was trying to find in the memories of the past
an antidote for the present. These are the relics of that past. I
daresay you have read of them in the diary and probably have
written me down a mawkish sentimentalist.”
“I pray you, my friend, not to do me that injustice!” he exclaimed.
“Faithful friendship that even survives the grave, is not a thing that
any man can afford to despise. But for the disaster of untimely death,
your faithfulness and hers would have created for two persons the
perfect life. I assure you, Mayfield, that I have been deeply moved by
the story of your delightful friendship and your irreparable loss. But
don’t let us dwell too much on the sad aspects of the story. Show me
your relics. I see some very charming little plaques among them.”
He picked up one with reassuring daintiness of touch and
examined it through a reading-glass that I handed to him.
“It really is a most admirable little work,” said he. “Not in the least
amateurish. She had the makings of a first-class medallist; the
appreciation of the essential qualities of a miniature relief. And she
had a fine feeling for composition and spacing.”
Deeply gratified by his appreciation and a little surprised by his
evident knowledge of the medallist’s art, I presented the little works,
one after another, and we discussed their merits with the keenest
interest. Presently he asked:
“Has it never occurred to you, Mayfield, that these charming little
works ought to be finished?”
“Finished?” I repeated. “But, aren’t they finished?”
“Certainly not. They are only in the plaster. But a plaster cast is
an intermediate form, just a mere working model. It is due to the
merits of these plaques and medals that they should be put into
permanent material—silver or copper or bronze. I’ll tell you what,
Mayfield,” he continued, enthusiastically. “You shall let Polton make
replicas of some of them—he could do it with perfect safety to the
originals. Then we could hand the casts to an electrotyper or a
founder—I should favour the electrotype process for such small
works—and have them executed in whichever metal you preferred.
Then you would be able to see, for the first time, the real quality of
the modelling.”
I caught eagerly at the idea, but yet I was a little nervous.
 “You think it would be perfectly safe?” I asked.
“Absolutely safe. Polton would make gelatine moulds which
couldn’t possibly injure the originals.”
That decided me. I fell in with the suggestion enthusiastically, and
forthwith we began an anxious consultation as to the most suitable
pieces with which to make a beginning. We had selected half a
dozen casts when my glance fell on the wax mould. That was
Stella’s masterpiece and it certainly ought to be finished; but I was
loath to part with the mould for fear of an accident. Very dubiously, I
handed it to Thorndyke and asked:
“What do you think of this? Could it be cast without any risk of
breaking it?”
He laid the mould on the table before him so that the light fell
obliquely across it and looked down on it reflectively.
“So,” said he, “this is the wax mould. I was reading about it only
yesterday and admiring your resourcefulness and ingenuity. I must
read the entry again with the actual object before me.”
He opened the diary, which he had laid on the table, and when he
had found the entry, read it to himself in an undertone.
“Dropped in to have tea with Stella and found her bubbling with
excitement and triumph. She had just finished the portrait medal and
though her eyes were red and painful from the strain of the close
work, in spite of her new spectacles, she was quite happy and as
proud as a little peacock. And well she might be. I should like
Lanterri to see his unknown pupil’s work. We decided to make the
mould of it at once, but when I got out the plaster tin, I found it
empty. Most unfortunate, for the clay was beginning to dry and I
didn’t dare to damp it. But something had to be done to protect it.
Suddenly I had a brilliant idea. There was nearly a whole candle in
Stella’s candlestick, quite enough for a mould, and good, hard wax
that wouldn’t warp. I took off the reflector and lighted the candle,
which I took out of the candlestick and held almost upside down over
the clay medal and let the wax drip on to it. Soon the medal was
covered by a film of wax which grew thicker and thicker, until, by the
time I had used up practically the whole of the candle, there was a
good, solid crust of wax, quite strong enough to cast from. When I
went home, I took the slate with me with the wax mould sticking to it,
intending to cover it with a plaster shell for extra safety. But my
plaster tin was empty, too, so I put the slate away in a safe place
until I should get some fresh plaster to make the cast; which will not
happen until I get back from Chelmsford.
“Busy evening getting ready for to-morrow; hope I shall feel less
cheap then than I do now.”
As Thorndyke finished reading he looked up and remarked: “That
was an excellent plan of yours. I have seen Polton use the same
method. But how was it that you never made the cast?”
“I was afraid of damaging the mould. As you know, when I came
back from Ipswich, Stella was dead, and as the medal was her last
work and her best, I hardly dared to risk the chance of destroying it.”
“Still,” Thorndyke urged, “it was the medal that was her work. The
mould was your own; and the medal exists only potentially in the
mould. It will come into actual existence only when the cast is made.”
I saw the force of this, but I was still a little uneasy, and said so.
“There is no occasion,” said he. “The mould is amply strong
enough to cast from. It might possibly break in separating the cast,
but that would be of no consequence, as you would then have the
cast, which would be the medal, itself. And it could then be put into
bronze or silver.”
“Very well,” I said, “if you guarantee the safety of the operation, I
am satisfied. I should love to see it in silver; or perhaps it might look
even better in gold.”
Having disposed of the works, themselves, we fell to discussing
the question of suitable settings or frames; and this led us to the
subject of the portraits. Thorndyke glanced over the collection, and
picking up one, which happened to be my own favourite, looked at it
thoughtfully.
“It is a beautiful face,” said he, “and this seems to have been a
singularly happy portrait. In red chalk autotype, it would make a
charming little picture. Did you take it?”
“Yes; and as I have the negative I am inclined to adopt your
suggestion. I am surprised that I never thought of it myself, for red
chalk is exactly the right medium.”
“Then let Polton have the negative. He is quite an expert in
autotype work.”
 I accepted the offer gladly and we then came back to the
question of framing. Thorndyke’s suggestion was that the portrait
should be treated as a medallion and enclosed in a frame to match
that of the medal. The idea appealed to me rather strongly, and
presently a further one occurred to me, though it was suggested
indirectly by Thorndyke, who had taken up the tress of Stella’s hair
and was looking at it admiringly as he drew it softly between his
fingers.
“Human hair,” he remarked, “and particularly a woman’s hair, is
always a beautiful material, no matter what its colour may be; but
this red-gold variety is one of the most gorgeous of Nature’s
productions.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “it is extremely decorative. Barbara had her tress
made up into a thin plait and worked into the frame of a miniature of
Stella. I liked the idea, but somehow the effect is not so very
pleasing. But it is an oblong frame.”
“I don’t think,” said Thorndyke, “that a plait was quite the best
form. A little cable would look better, especially for a medallion
portrait; indeed I think that if you had a plain square black frame with
a circular opening, a little golden cable, carried round concentrically
with the opening would have a rather fine effect.”
“So it would,” I exclaimed. “I think it would look charming. I had
no idea, Thorndyke, that you were a designer. Do you think Polton
could make the cable?”
“Polton,” he replied, impressively, “can do anything that can be
done with a single pair of human hands. Let him have the hair, and
he will make the cable and the frame, too; and he will see that the
glass cover is an airtight fit—for, of course, the cable would have to
be under the glass.”
To this also I agreed with a readiness that surprised myself. And
yet it was not surprising. Hitherto I had been accustomed secretly
and in solitude to pore over these pathetic little relics of happier days
and lock up my sorrows and my sense of bereavement in my own
breast. Now, for the first time, I had a confidant who shared the
knowledge of my shattered hopes and vanished happiness; and so
whole heartedly, with such delicate sympathy and perfect
understanding had Thorndyke entered into the story of my troubled
life that I found in his companionship not only a relief from my old
self-repression but a sort of subdued happiness. Almost cheerfully I
fetched an empty cigar-box and a supply of cotton wool and tissue
paper and helped him tenderly and delicately to pack my treasures
for their first exodus from under my roof. And it was with only a faint
twinge of regret that I saw him, at length, depart with the box under
his arm.
“You needn’t be uneasy, Mayfield,” he said, pausing on the stairs
to look back. “Nothing will be injured; and as soon as the casting is
successfully carried through, I shall drop a note in your letter-box to
set your mind at rest. Good night.”
I watched him as he descended the stairs, and listened to his
quick foot-falls, fading away up the court. Then I went back to my
room with a faint sense of desolation to re-pack the depleted deed-
box and thereafter to betake myself to bed.
 Chapter XV.
A Pursuit and a Discovery
More than a week had passed since that eventful evening—how
eventful I did not then realize—when I had delivered my simple
treasures into Thorndyke’s hands. But I was not uneasy; for, within
twenty-four hours, I had found in my letter-box the promised note,
assuring me that the preliminary operations had been safely carried
through and that nothing had been damaged. Nor was I impatient. I
realized that Polton had other work than mine on hand and that there
was a good deal to do. Moreover, a little rush of business had kept
me employed and helped me to follow Thorndyke’s counsel and
forget, as well as I could, the shadow of mystery and peril that hung
over my friends, and, by implication, over me.
But on the evening of which I am now speaking I was free. I had
cleared off the last of the day’s work, and, after dining reposefully at
my club, found myself with an hour or two to spare before bed-time;
and it occurred to me to look in on Thorndyke to smoke a friendly
pipe and perchance get a glimpse of the works in progress.
I entered the Temple from the west, and, threading my way
through the familiar labyrinth, crossed Tanfield Court, and passing
down the narrow alley at its eastern side, came out into King’s Bench
Walk. I crossed the Walk at once and was sauntering down the
pavement towards Thorndyke’s house when I noticed a large, closed
car drawn up at its entry, and, standing on the pavement by the car,
a tall man whom I recognized by the lamp light as Mr.
Superintendent Miller.
Now I did not much want to meet the superintendent, and in any
case it was pretty clear to me that my visit to Thorndyke was not very
opportune. The presence of Miller suggested business, and the size
of the car suggested other visitors. Accordingly I slowed down and
was about to turn back when my eye caught another phenomenon.
In the entry next to Thorndyke’s a man was standing, well back in
the shadow, but not so far that he could not get a view of the car; on
which he was quite obviously keeping a watchful eye. Indeed, he
was so pre-occupied with his observation of it that he had not
noticed my approach, his back being turned towards me.
Naturally, the watchful attitude and the object of his watchfulness
aroused my suspicions as to his identity. But a movement backward
on his part which brought him within range of the entry lamp, settled
the matter. He was Anthony Wallingford.
I turned and walked quietly back a few paces. What was this idiot
doing here within a few yards of Thorndyke’s threshold? Was he
merely spying fatuously and without purpose? Or was it possible that
he might be up to some kind of mischief? As I framed the question
my steps brought me opposite another entry. The Walk was in
darkness save for the few lamps and the place was practically
deserted. After a moment’s reflection, I stepped into the entry and
decided thence to keep a watch upon the watcher.
I had not long to wait. Hardly had I taken up my rather undignified
position when three men emerged from the house and walked slowly
to the car. By the light of the lamp above Thorndyke’s entry, I could
see them quite plainly and I recognized them all. One was
Thorndyke, himself, another was Dr. Jervis, Thorndyke’s colleague,
now in the employ of the Home Office, and the third was Dr.
Barnwell, well-known to me as the analyst and toxicologist to the
Home Office. All three carried substantial bags and Dr. Barnwell was
encumbered with a large case, like an out-size suit-case, suggestive
of chemical apparatus. While they were depositing themselves and
their impedimenta in the car, Superintendent Miller gave directions to
the driver. He spoke in clear, audible tones, but though (I have to
confess) I listened intently, I caught only the question: “Do you know
the way?” The words which preceded and followed it were just
audible but not intelligible to me. It appeared, however, that they
were intelligible to Wallingford, for, as soon as they were spoken and
while the superintendent still held the open door of the car, he
stepped forth from his lurking-place and walked boldly and rapidly
across to the narrow passage by which I had come.
 Realizing instantly what his intention was, I came out of the entry
and started in pursuit. As I reached the entrance to the passage, my
ear caught the already faint sound of his receding footsteps; by
which I learned that he was running swiftly and as silently as he
could. Since I did not intend to lose him, I had no choice but to follow
his example, and I raced across Tanfield Court, past the Cloisters
and round by the church as if the Devil were after me instead of
before. Half-way up Inner Temple Lane he slowed down to a walk—
very wisely, for otherwise the night porter would certainly have
stopped him—and was duly let out into Fleet Street, whither I
followed him at a short interval.
When I stepped out of the gate I saw him some little distance
away to the west, giving directions to the driver of a taxi. I looked
round desperately, and, to my intense relief, perceived an apparently
empty taxi approaching from the east. I walked quickly towards it,
signalling as I went, and the driver at once drew in to the kerb and
stopped. I approached him, and, leaning forward, said in a low voice
—though there was no one within earshot:
“There is a taxi just in front. It will probably follow a big car which
is coming up Middle Temple Lane. I want you to keep that taxi in
sight, wherever it may go. Do you understand?”
The man broke into a cynical grin—the nearest approach to
geniality of which a taxi-driver is capable—and replied that he
understood; and as, at this moment, the nose of the car appeared
coming through the arched entrance gate of Middle Temple Lane, I
sprang into the taxi and shut the door. From the off-side window, but
keeping well back out of sight, I saw the car creep across Fleet
Street, turn eastward and then sweep round into Chancery Lane.
Almost immediately, Wallingford’s taxi moved off and followed; and
then, after a short interval, my own vehicle started, and, crossing
directly to Chancery Lane, went ahead in the wake of the others.
It was an absurd affair. Now that the pursuit was started and its
conduct delegated for the time to the driver, I leaned back in the
shadow and was disposed to grin a little sheepishly at my own
proceedings. I had embarked on them in obedience to a sudden
impulse without reflection—for which, indeed, there had been no
time. But was there anything to justify me in keeping this watch on
Wallingford? I debated the question at some length and finally
decided that, although he was probably only playing the fool, still it
was proper that I should see what he was really up to. Thorndyke
was my friend and it was only right that I should stand between him
and any possible danger. Well as he was able to take care of
himself, he could not be always on his guard. And I could not forget
the infernal machine. Some one at least had the will to do him an
injury.
But what about the brown-hatted man? Why had he not joined in
this novel sport? Or had he? I put my head out of the window and
looked along the street in our rear, but there was no sign of any
pursuing taxi. The ridiculous procession was limited to three
vehicles; which was just as well, since we did not want a police
cyclist bringing up the rear.
From my own proceedings my thoughts turned to those of
Thorndyke and his companions, though they were no affair of mine,
or of Wallingford’s either, for that matter. Apparently the three men
were going somewhere to make a post mortem examination. The
presence of Dr. Barnwell suggested an analysis in addition; and the
presence of Miller hinted at a criminal case of some kind. But it was
not my case or Wallingford’s. For both of us the analyst had already
done his worst.
While I reflected, I kept an eye on the passing landmarks,
checking our route and idly trying to forecast our destination. From
Chancery Lane we crossed Holborn and entered Gray’s Inn Road, at
the bottom of which we swept round by King’s Cross into Pancras
Road. At the end of this we turned up Great College Street, crossed
Camden Road and presently passed along the Kentish Town Road.
So far I had noted our progress with no more than a languid interest.
It did not matter to me whither we were going. But when, at the Bull
and Gate, we swept round into Highgate Road, my attention awoke;
and when the taxi turned sharply at the Duke of St. Albans and
entered Swain’s Lane, I sat up with a start. In a moment of sudden
enlightenment, I realized what our destination must be; and the
realization came upon me with the effect of a palpable blow. This
lane, with its precipitous ascent at the upper end, was no ordinary
thoroughfare. It was little more than an approach to the great
cemetery whose crowded areas extended on either side of it; its
traffic was almost completely limited to the mournful processions that
crept up to the wide gates by the mortuary chapel. Indeed, on the
very last occasion when I had ridden up this lane, my conveyance
had been the mourning carriage which followed poor little Stella to
her last home.
Before I had recovered from the shock of this discovery
sufficiently to consider what it might mean, the taxi came to a sudden
halt. I stepped out, and, looking up the lane, made out the shadowy
form of Wallingford’s vehicle, already backing and manœuvring to
turn round.
“Bloke in front has got out,” my driver announced in a hoarse
whisper, and as he spoke, I caught sight of Wallingford—or at least
of a human figure—lurking in the shadow of the trees by the railings
on the right-hand side of the road. I paid off my driver (who,
thereupon, backed on to the footway, turned and retired down the
hill) and having waited for the other taxi to pass down, began slowly
to ascend the lane, keeping in the shadow of the trees. Now that the
two taxis were gone, Wallingford and I had the lane to ourselves,
excepting where, in the distance ahead, the reflected light from the
head-lamps of the car made a dim halo and the shape of the gothic
chapel loomed indistinctly against the murky sky. I could see him
quite plainly, and no doubt he was aware of my presence; at any
rate, I did not propose to attempt any concealment, so far as he was
concerned. His movements had ceased to be of any interest to me.
My entire concern was with the party ahead and with the question at
to what Thorndyke was doing at this time of night in Highgate
Cemetery.
The burial ground is divided, as I have said, into two parts, which
lie on either side of the lane; the old cemetery with its great gates
and the large mortuary chapel, on the left or west side and the newer
part on the right. To which of these two parts was Thorndyke bound?
That was the question that I had to settle.
I continued to advance up the lane, keeping in the shadow,
though it was a dark night and the precaution was hardly necessary.
Presently I overtook Wallingford and passed him without either
concealment or recognition on either side. I could now clearly make
out the gable and pinnacles of the chapel and saw the car turn in the
wide sweep and then extinguish its headlights. Presently, from the
gate-house there emerged a party of men of whom some carried
lanterns, by the light of which I could recognize Thorndyke and his
three companions; and I noted that they appeared to have left their
cases either in the car or elsewhere for they now carried nothing.
They lingered for a minute or two at the wicket by the great gates;
then, accompanied by a man whom I took to be the gate-keeper,
they crossed the road to the gate of the eastern cemetery and were
at once followed by another party of men, who trundled two wheel-
barrows, loaded with some bulky objects the nature of which I could
not make out. I watched them with growing anxiety and suspicion as
they passed in at the gate; and when they had all entered and
moved away along the main path, I came forth from the shadow and
began to walk quickly up the lane.
The eastern cemetery adjoins Waterlow Park, from which it is
separated by a low wall surmounted by tall railings, and this was my
objective. The park was now, of course, closed for the night, locked
up and deserted. So much the better. Locks and bars were no
hindrance to me. I knew the neighbourhood of old. Every foot of the
lane was familiar to me, though the houses that had grown up at the
lower end had changed its aspect from that which I remembered
when as a boy I had rambled through its leafy shades. On I strode,
past the great gates on the left and the waiting car, within which I
could see the driver dozing, past the white gatehouse on the right,
up the steep hill until I came to the place where a tall oak fence
encloses the park from the lane. Here I halted and took off my
overcoat, for the six-foot fence is guarded at the top by a row of
vicious hooks. Laying the folded overcoat across the top of the
fence, I sprang up, sat for a moment astride and then dropped down
into the enclosure.
I now stood in a sort of dry ditch between the fence and a steep
bank, covered with bushes which rose to the level of the park. I had
just taken down my overcoat and was putting it on before climbing
the bank when its place was taken by another overcoat cast over
from without. Then a pair of hands appeared, followed by the clatter
of feet against the fence and the next moment I saw Wallingford
astride of the top and looking down at me.
I still affected to be unaware of him, and, turning away, began to
scramble up the bank, at the summit of which I pushed my way
through the bushes, and, stepping over a three-foot fence, came out
upon a by-path overshadowed by trees. Pausing for a moment to get
my bearings and to mark out a route by which I could cross the park
without coming into the open, where I might be seen by some
watchful keeper, I started off towards a belt of trees just as
Wallingford stepped over the dwarf fence and came out upon the
path behind me.
The position was becoming absurd, though I was too agitated to
appreciate its humour. I could not protest against his following me
seeing that I had come in the first place to spy upon him, and was
now, like himself, engaged in spying upon Thorndyke. However, he
soon solved the difficulty by quickening his pace and overtaking me,
when he asked in a quite matter-of-fact tone:
“What is Thorndyke up to, Mayfield?”
“That is what I want to find out,” I replied.
“He is not acting on your instructions, then?”
“No; and the probability is that what he is doing is no concern of
mine or of yours either. But I don’t know; and I have come here to
make sure. Keep in the shadow. We don’t want the keeper to see us
prowling about here.”
He stepped back into the shade and we pursued our way in
silence; and even then, troubled and agitated as I was, I noted that
he asked me no question as to what was in my mind. He was leaving
the initiative entirely to me.
When we had crossed the park in the shelter of the trees and
descended into the hollow by the little lake where we were out of
sight of the gate-house, I led the way towards the boundary between
the park and the cemetery. The two enclosures were separated, as I
have said, by a low wall surmounted by a range of high, massive
railings; and the wall and the cemetery beyond were partially
concealed by an irregular hedge of large bushes. Pushing through
the bushes, I moved along the wall until I came to the place which I
intended to watch; and here I halted in the shade of a tall mass of
bushes, and resting my arms on the broad coping of the wall, took
up my post of observation with Wallingford, silently attentive at my
side.
The great burial ground was enveloped in darkness so profound
that the crowded headstones and monuments conveyed to the eye
no more than a confused glimmer of ghostly pallor that was barely
distinguishable from the general obscurity. One monument only
could be separately identified: a solitary stone cross that rose above
a half-seen grave some sixty yards from the wall. But already the
mysterious procession could be seen threading its way in and out by
the intricate, winding paths, the gleam of the lanterns lighting up now
a marble figure and now a staring head-stone or urn or broken
column; and as it drew ever nearer, the glare of the lanterns, the
rumble of the barrow-wheels on the hard paths and the spectral
figures of the men grew more and more distinct. And still Wallingford
watched and spoke never a word.
At length, a turn of the path brought the procession into full view,
and as it approached I could make out a man,—evidently by his
uniform, the cemetery keeper,—leading, lantern in hand and showing
the way. Nearer and nearer the procession drew until at last, close
by the stone cross, the leader halted. Then, as Thorndyke and his
companions—now clearly visible—came up, he lifted his lantern and
let its light fall full on the cross. And even at this distance I could read
with ease—though it was unnecessary—the single name STELLA.
As that name—to me so sacred—flashed out of the darkness,
Wallingford gripped my arm. “Great God!” he exclaimed. “It is Stella
Keene’s grave! I came here once with Barbara to plant flowers on it.”
He paused, breathing hard and still clutching my arm. Then, in a
hoarse whisper, he demanded:
“What can that devil be going to do?”
There was little need to ask. Even as he spoke, the labourers
began to unload from the first barrow its lading of picks, shovels and
coils of rope. And when these were laid on the ground, the second
barrow yielded up its cargo; a set of rough canvas screens which the
men began to set up around the grave. And even as the screens
were being erected, another lantern slowly approaching along the
path, revealed two men carrying a long, bedstead-like object—a bier
—which they at length set down upon its stunted legs just outside
the screens.
With set teeth I stared incredulously between the railings at these
awful preparations while Wallingford, breathing noisily, held fast to
my arm with a hand that I could feel shaking violently. The lanterns
inside the screens threw a weird, uncertain light on the canvas, and
monstrous, distorted shadows moved to and fro. Presently, amidst
these flitting, spectral shapes, appeared one like an enormous
gnome, huge, hideous and deformed, holding an up-raised pick. The
shadowy implement fell with an audible impact, followed by the ring
of a shovel.
At the sight and the sound—so dreadfully conclusive—
Wallingford sprang up with a stifled cry.
“God Almighty! That devil is going to dig her up!”
He stood motionless and rigid for a few moments. Then, turning
suddenly, without another word, he burst through the bushes, and I
heard him racing madly across the park.
I had half a mind to follow him. I had seen enough. I now knew
the shocking truth. Why stay and let my soul be harrowed by the
sight of these ghouls. Every stroke of pick or shovel seemed to
knock at my heart. Why not go and leave them to their work of
desecration? But I could not go. I could not tear myself away. There
was the empty bier. Presently she would be lying on it. I could not go
until I had seen her borne away.
So I stayed there gazing between the railings, watching the elfin
shapes that flitted to and fro on the screen, listening to the thud of
pick and the ring and scrape of shovel and letting my confused
thoughts wander obscurely through a maze of half-realized pain and
anger. I try in vain to recall clearly what was my state of mind. Out of
the confusion and bewilderment little emerges but a dull indignation
and especially a feeling of surprised resentment against Thorndyke.
The horrible business went on methodically. By degrees a
shadowy mound grew up at the bottom of the screen. And then other
movements and other sounds; a hollow, woody sound that seemed
to bring my heart into my mouth. At last, the screens were opened at
the end and then the coffin was borne out and laid on the bier. By the
light of the lanterns I could see it distinctly. I was even able to
recognize it, shabby and earth-stained as it now was. I saw
Thorndyke help the keeper to spread over it some kind of pall, and
then two men stepped between the handles of the bier, stooped and
picked it up; and then the grim procession re-formed and began
slowly to move away.
I watched it until it had passed round a turn of the path and was
hidden from my view. Then I stood up, pushed my way through the
bushes and stole away across the park by the way I had come. In
the ditch inside the fence I stood for a few moments listening, but the
silence was as profound as the darkness. As quietly as I could I
climbed over the fence and dropped down into the lane. There
seemed to be not a soul moving anywhere near; nevertheless, when
I had slipped on my overcoat, instead of retracing my steps down the
lane past the entrance-gates of the cemetery, I turned to the right
and toiled up the steep hill to its termination in South Grove, where I
bore away westward and descending the long slope of West Hill,
passed the Duke of St. Albans and re-entered the Highgate Road.
It did not occur to me to look out for any conveyance. My mind
was in a whirl that seemed to communicate itself to my body and I
walked on and on like one in a dream.
The dreary miles of deserted streets were consumed unreckoned
—though still, without conscious purpose, I followed the direct road
home as a well-constructed automaton might have done. But I saw
nothing. Nor, for a time, could I be said to think coherently. My
thoughts seethed and eddied in such confusion that no product
emerged. I was conscious only of an indignant sense of shocked
decency and a loathing of Thorndyke and all his works.
Presently, however, I grew somewhat more reasonable and my
thoughts began to take more coherent shape. As a lawyer, I could
not but perceive that Thorndyke must have something definite in his
mind. He could not have done what I had seen him do without a
formal authority from the Home Secretary; and before any such
authority would have been given he would have been called upon to
show cause why the exhumation should be carried out. And such
licenses are not lightly granted. Nor, I had to admit, was Thorndyke
likely to have made the application without due consideration. He
must have had reasons for this outrageous proceeding which not
only appeared sufficient to him but which must have appeared
sufficient to the Home Secretary.
All this became by degrees clear enough to me. But yet I had not
a moment’s doubt that he had made some monstrous mistake.
Probably he had been misled by something in my diary. That
seemed to be the only possible explanation. Presently he would
discover his error—by means which I shudderingly put aside. But
when the error was discovered, the scandal would remain. It is
impossible to maintain secrecy in a case like this. In twenty-four
hours or less, all the world would know that the body of Mrs.
Monkhouse’s step-sister had been exhumed; and no subsequent
explanation would serve to destroy the effect of that announcement.
Wallingford’s dismal prophecy was about to be fulfilled.
Moreover, Thorndyke’s action amounted in effect to an open
accusation—not of Madeline or Wallingford but of Barbara, herself.
And this indignity she would suffer at my hands—at the hands of her
oldest friend! The thought was maddening. But for the outrageous
lateness of the hour, I would have gone to her at once to put her on
her guard and crave her pardon. It was the least that I could do. But
it could not be done to-night, for she would have been in bed hours
ago and her flat locked up for the night. However, I would go in the
morning at the earliest possible hour. I knew that Barbara was an
early riser and it would not be amiss if I arrived at the flat before the
maid. She must be warned at the earliest possible moment and by
me, who was the author of the mischief.
Thus, by the time that I reached my chambers I had decided
clearly what was to be done. At first, I was disposed to reject
altogether the idea of sleep. But presently, more reasonable
thoughts prevailing, I decided at least to lie down and sleep a little if I
could. But first I made a few indispensable preparations for the
morning; filled the kettle and placed it on the gas-ring, set out the
materials for a hasty breakfast, and cleaned my shoes. Then, when I
had wound the alarm clock and set it for five, I partially undressed
and crept into bed.
 Chapter XVI.
Barbara’s Message
The routine of modern life creates the habit of dividing the day
into a series of definite phases which we feel impelled to recognize
even in circumstances to which they have no real application.
Normally, the day is brought formally to an end by retirement to bed,
a process that—also normally—leads to a lapse into
unconsciousness the emergence from which marks the beginning of
another day. So, in mere obedience to the call of habit, I had gone to
bed, though, in spite of bodily fatigue, there had been no hint of any
tendency to sleep. But I might have saved myself the trouble. True,
my tired limbs stretched themselves out restfully and mere muscular
fatigue slowly wore off; but my brain continued, uselessly and
chaotically to pursue its activities only the more feverishly when the
darkness and the silence closed the avenues of impressions from
without.
Hour after hour crept by with incredible slowness, marked at each
quarter by the gentle undertone of the Treasury clock, voicing its
announcement, as it seemed, in polite protest (surely there was
never a clock that hinted so delicately and unobtrusively at the
passage of the irrevocable minutes “that perish for us and are
reckoned”). Other sound there was none to break the weary silence
of the night; but by the soft, mellow chime I was kept informed of the
birth of another day and the progress of its infancy, which crawled so
tardily in the wake of my impatience.
At last, when half-past four had struck, I threw back the bed-
clothes, and, stepping out, switched on the light and put a match to
the gas under the kettle. I had no occasion to hurry, but rather
sought to make my preparations with studied deliberation; in spite of
which I had shaved, washed and dressed and was sitting down to