fter dinner thought I'd go round
again to tinker a bit at the car in case of an early start to-morrow. When
I got to the place there were three new fellows on duty, and they seemed
astonished when they saw I intended to work on the Gloria. The chauffeur
who looked after that car had been in, they said; and you can believe,
sir, I pricked up my ears. He'd been working like a demon, said they,
opening the gear-box and dismounting the main shaft. Then he went off with
it over his shoulder, after telling the foreman his master wouldn't
believe the pinions were so worn there ought to be a new set, and he was
going to show it to him. They were surprised, I can tell you, sir, when I
said we'd been robbed, and that the thief wasn't your chauffeur. But just
then one of the old lot came in, and bore witness that I was the right
man. It did seem like a bad dream, but a peep at the gear-box showed me it
was real enough. I was a fool not to give somebody warning, or pay a man
to stay by the car."

"I can't see that you had reason to be suspicious," said I, "although it's
a rascally outrage, and makes me feel murderous. Did they describe the
supposed chauffeur?"

"They did sir; and I expected to recognize the description. But I didn't;
they're too smart for that."

"You think we know him?"

"Sure of it, sir. Nothing easier than a bit of disguise."

"It might be a common motor-car thief, who wanted a main shaft for a
Gloria car."

"And then again, sir, it mightn't."

"Anyhow," said I, "the thing to do would be to apply to the police, have
the ruffian run to earth and arrested, no matter what his position. The
worst of it is, though, I'm not anxious to have the eye of the Spanish
police turned upon me, and there are those who count on that fact."

"Wouldn't I like to smash their heads for this! Wouldn't I like to smash
their car!" growled Dick.

"No. That would be playing it too low down," said I.

Ropes coloured under his sunburnt skin, and began to search for
non-existent dust on the leather cap in his hand.

"You're right, sir, no doubt," he said, in a meek voice.

I was half sorry that he, or anyone, should agree with me. It seemed
somehow as if my chauffeur were taking this monstrous thing too coolly.
"Well, the fact remains that we're done," I said, with suppressed fury.
"If the Duke of Carmona has had a hand in this act, it's a sign that he
means to get off while we're held up waiting for a new shaft and pinions
t