doubts. The chief policeman motioned me to stop
where I was, and ordered two of the men to go somewhere. From my place, I
could see the bridge, and the two policemen who seemed to be looking for
something.

"By and by came the thrum of an automobile, and I could tell it was a
Lecomte. A minute later the chaps outside were talking to the Duke of
Carmona, who stopped his car where they were. They talked a bit; then he
gave the wheel to his chauffeur and came into the police office. The chief
treated him very deferential; they laid their heads together in a corner,
but I could see them reading a telegram, and once and again they had a
squint at me.

"I knew too much to let on I suspected the Duke of a hand in the business,
but having heard him answer Mr. Waring about the tyre in English as good
as my own, I jumped up and asked if he'd interpret for me with the police.
I explained what had happened, showed my card, and said there'd been a
silly mistake which was causing me no end of annoyance. Then I said I'd
write to _The Times_, about the sort of thing that happened to Englishmen
travelling in Spain, and talked of the Embassy at Madrid.

"All the time I was speaking the Duke pulled his moustache and stared so
hard, if I'd had on a false moustache or wig, or any of that kind of
business, he'd have been sure to find it out. He looked cross and puzzled
too; but finally he said, as I was English, and he believed they were
wanting a Spaniard, there must be a mistake, and he would do the best he
could to help me. I suppose he must have told them they were on the wrong
job after all, for after he'd gone, and they'd buzzed awhile and made out
a lot of papers, they said that as a very important person certified to my
being Mr. George Smith, I could go.

"By this time it was afternoon, and I wanted to get on as soon as
possible, so I took the next train for San Sebastian, and hunted up a
place to hire a motor bike. I didn't know where you'd have gone after
that, so I couldn't book by train; but I counted on picking up your trail
if I kept the road."

"How could you expect to do that, since there must be a lot of automobiles
going back and forth between Biarritz and San Sebastian, even at this time
of year?" said I.

"Why, from the non-skids, sir. I'd know ours anywhere. There's three of
the steel studs worn close down on the off driving wheel, which makes a
queer little mark in dust or mud. I could even see, once I got on to