It was not Wilson's voice. Wondering what was happening, I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes sleepily.

   "What the deuce——!" I began. Then I stopped suddenly. A couple of constables in uniform stood at

   the bedside, and I gathered that it was the voice of the sergeant which had so rudely disturbed my slumbers.

   "What do you want?" I demanded.

   "You know well enough," replied the sergeant. "You make haste and dress yourself and come along with us."

   I thought my senses had deserted me.

   "What in the name of good fortune for?" I asked.

   "You're not going to kid us, my good feller," he answered. Adding facetiously, "If we puts a name to it and calls it piracy on the 'igh road, I wonder what you'll 'ave to say to it, remembering, of course, that anything you do say will be taken down and used in evidence against you."

   Then all that had happened flashed across my mind; my strange appearance and arrival at the inn; my peculiar manner; my possession of plenty of money; the curious glances of the village folk; the fact that somewhere in the vicinity the Motor Pirate had last been seen. Under the circumstances, nothing could be more likely than that the bucolic intelligence should jump to the conclusion that I was the famous criminal. To me, however, the idea seemed so absurd that I fell into hearty laughter. My merriment seemed to annoy the sergeant, for he declared crossly that if I did not dress quickly, he would find himself under the necessity of taking me away as I was.

   I thought it expedient to temporize, and as a result

   of a little diplomacy, in which one of the coins from my pocket found another resting-place, I obtained permission to breakfast before I left.

   I made a hearty meal, the landlord attending upon my wants. I was glad to see that he, at least, had no hand in thrusting upon me the indignity of being arrested. He explained as much, telling my captors they were making idiots of themselves. As he seemed trustworthy, I gave him Winter's address, with instructions to wire to him, telling him of my predicament, and asking him to come to my assistance.

   Necessarily I gave the instructions in the presence of the policemen, and directly I had done so I could 

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