A QUESTION OF TIME

Initiation into the Thieves Guild was never going to be that easy. This much they knew. Now, under the watchful gaze of the Grand Master, the three initiates would have to put their filching powers to the test. Each man was given a different two-digit safe combination to crack in less than ten seconds. All the digits from one to six inclusive were used once only. Each time was measured to the nearest whole second.

Willy Solvit took twice as long to crack his combination as the person whose second digit was an odd number. The sum of the first three digits of each man's combination was equal to Mister E's second digit. The fastest time recorded by the Grand Master was two seconds. The sum of Mister E's second digit and Willy's first digit equalled the time it took for the lattter's combination to be cracked. The sum total of Mister E's digits was one less than "Cracker" Jacques' sum total.

Can you match the name of each safe-cracker with the time it took to open each safe and work out the combination involved?

Starting tip: First find Mister E's second digit.

Answers on a postcard, marked A Question of Time 5, should reach us by Thursday. The address is as for the Crossword. The sender of the first correct answer opened will receive an Oris watch worth £159. The answer will be published in two weeks' time.

Solution to Week 3

Bunty was riding Red Nun, her time was 1 minute 30 seconds and she had 8 faults; Georgie rode Royal Flatfeet, her time was 1 min 40 seconds, with 12 faults; Pru rode Desert Orchard, in 1 minute 35 seconds with 4 faults.

A watch goes to Julia Boswell of Market Harborough, Leicestershire.