30-MINUTE CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

3 Clearly an odd boy, about six,

poor soul! (9) 8 Lament that there’s nothing in

the fellow (4) 9 The result of developments from

a sharpshooter? (9) 10 Bar put out by sudden change (6) 11 Alter warning call (5) 14 Bury in middle position? (5) 15 A threesome of patriots (4) 16 Happening to be smooth on the

head (5) 18 Negative return after negative

time (4) 20 Mature in 40 per cent rigid

enclosure (5) 21 Homes back in the most sensible

places (5) 24 Lead in refusal (6) 25 Talks by 100 about poetry (9) 26 What history has is not quite

what history books have (4) 27 A gift only half taken before long

(9) 1 I am under treatment but am unwilling to wait (9) 2 Ran up to share story-telling (9) 4 Inclination to be crooked? (4) 5 Drive one politician to take on the

Spanish (5) 6 Not even feeling the slightest

pain (6) 7 Many things for sale (4) 9 Scanty surplus (5) 11 Helps because wager included (5) 12 Hunting paraphernalia? (9) 13 Without limit, not being so tied (9) 17 Attempts to score in game (5) 19 They are got on to as a source of

annoyance (6) 22 In picturing Italian city (5) 23 thus, ancient city becomes

disagreeable (5) 24 Do business in wood (4)