"At the same time," said Winter, "it may very well have happened that consciously or unconsciously the papers have been made the victims of a practical joke. To-morrow is the first of April, remember. Or even apart from the joke theory, the event happened after dinner, and Mr. Bradshaw may have found it necessary to be prepared with an explanation of his accident."

   "But the robbery?" I objected.

   "A passing tramp may have thought the opportunity too good to be neglected."

   "At all events," I persisted, "it is curious that two similar accidents should have occurred the same night in the same part of the country."

   "Certainly the coincidence is remarkable," answered Winter. "But do not forget that the two occurrences

   took place at least a hundred and thirty miles apart within less than three hours of one another. I will swear that no motor yet built would cover those roads inside three hours. I know them. No, Sutgrove. The moral seems to me to be that it is unwise for a motorman to look upon the wine when it is red, if he wants to get anywhere afterwards."

   The Colonel stretched his hand across the table and removed the glass which stood on the table before Winter.

   "My young friend," he observed, "you have, I believe, undertaken to bring me safely home to-night?"

   "You need not fear," replied Winter, laughing, "it's only the liquors supplied at country inns which drive motor-cars into ditches."

   The Colonel replaced the glass with a smile and refilled his own from the cradled bottle at his elbow.

   "I am merely a passenger, but you drive," he remarked. "I think, Sutgrove, under the circumstances, I will be responsible for the remainder of this bottle. It is endowed with certain qualities which particularly recommend themselves to me. It would be a sad thing if an accident were to befall us on our journey. In times of stress such as these one never knows when the War Office may not require the services of a capable man."

   Though the Colonel spoke in jest, in the event his words indicated with a fair amount of accuracy the destination of the port, for while we continued to discuss every point in the story, he sipped and sipped and nodded

   his head 

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