Mindbender

A: Walt watched as the three girls walked down the path. "Nice looking kids," he said. "All more or less of an age." "We're proud of them," Sam replied. "They're evenly spaced, two years apart. Here's something for you. Their ages total what my age is, and ten years ago they totalled only a third of that."

How old was Sam?

B: "I had a look at that bit of land," said John. "It's an awkward shape, a triangle, but I didn't check the measurements."

"I don't have them exactly myself," Ken replied. "All I know is that the longest and the shortest sides are perfect squares in metres, whole numbers of course. There's 44 metres between them, and then the middle side is 16 metres longer than the shortest."

John nodded. "Well, I suppose we could work it out from that. I did notice the dead elm in the middle is the same distance from each side."

What was the distance?

3, Steps 8,

LI-the 10, Rhine 11,

Noo 12, Belie 13, Carry on 15, VA-L-E-T 18, Tea 19, Defile 21, Retreat

22, L-air 23, Tilt 24, Be-late-d 26, Br-ewer

29, Gen. 31, Sh-rew 32, Pens-I-on 34, Sa-VE-d

35, Era 36, Adder 37, Cle-rk 38, Reels.

1, Final 2, Shorte-r 4, The-N 5, P-rivet 6, Sheaf 7, Angel 9, Tor 12, Boarder 14, Ye-T 16, Li-Vi-d 17, Tenth 19, Dam-aged 20, Clubs 21, Rid-er 23, Tensely 24, Be-Ware 25, Ten 27, R-hoda 28, Weser 30, Hoary 32, Peel 33 Ire.

3, Medal, 8, Local, 10, Patch, 11, Tot, 12, Relay, 13, Deliver,

15, Tepee, 18, Get, 19, Shrewd, 21, Put away,

22, Rare, 23, Here, 24, Snapper, 26, Adores,

29, Lea, 31, Dared, 32, Deadpan, 34, Names, 35, Fit, 36, Bleat, 37, Rotor, 38, Learn.

Down: 1, Hotel, 2, Fatigue, 4, Ewer, 5, Apathy, 6, Layer, 7, Screw, 9, Col, 12, Retains, 14, Vet, 16, Peter, 17, Edges, 19, Samples, 20, Tread, 21, Prior, 23, Head for, 24, Sedate, 25, Pea, 27, Dally, 28, Renal, 30, Baton, 32, Dear, 33, Pit.