THE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Stress that it's less than twenty (10)

6 Try bringing nuts back (4) 10 Intimidated company to form a union (5) 11 Turns round and ejects a sailor (4,5)

12 If I react strangely it may be a trick! (8) 13 One of an opening pair (5)

15 Pound put on light fuel (7)

17 Joined by the sailor - or the parson (7) 19 Enormous disaster struck it (7) 21 Contempt for a futile action (7)

22 Cook a joint of meat, using the right oven (5) 24 No variety in the numbers crawling (3,5) 27 Sweet enough for Miss Bronte (9)

28 A light across the ship (5) 29 Condiment used as a last resort (4) 30 Clearly determined to provide an early source of pleasure (7,3)

Down

1 Union leaders firm - that's great for the Scots (4)

2 Unqualified actor's position (9)

3 They meet in the centre of the ring (5) 4 Fancy putting charge on mounting account (7)

5 Wrongly retorts they are cads (7)

7 The point of growing things? (5) 8 Comparatively good times when gambling takes place? (6,4)

9 Oil catch freely, being liberal (8) 14 Kitchen accessories, subsequently put into bundles (5-5)

16 Any in, let out, naturally (8)

18 Gloomy supporters will, if their team's

doing badly (9)

20 Rattle caused by a loose ratchet (7) 21 They should know how to prepare a good

meal (7)

23 A number grow sick, get benefit (5) 25 Tomahawk? A case for an Indian (5) 26 Obscenity must be destroyed (4)

PUZZLE 15162