WITH THE PIRATE

"WHEN you left me," Forrest began, "I thought I would pass the time
until your return in making a still more detailed inspection of the
ground than we had already made. I found I had no lights. In order to
get over the difficulty, I went to the car in which the dead man was
seated and examined the lamps. They were in good working order, and I
could see that their extinction had not been due to any mischance. Why
they should have been put out and the machinery of the car left running
puzzled me. I could only conclude that the Pirate, after shooting his
victim, had approached the car to plunder him, but had been scared away
by the sound of our approach. He must have turned out the lights and
have just had time to draw the car across the road to make a trap for
us, before making his own escape. This impression of mine was confirmed
later. I took one of the lamps from its socket, lit it, and looked again
at the dead body. I am almost certain he had not been disturbed since
the fated bullet struck him. His coat was closely buttoned. His rug was
wrapped tightly round him. There were papers in his coat pocket, and I
could feel through the coat that his watch and chain were still upon
him. When thinking that the Pirate could not be far off, I regretted I
had not accompanied you; but remembering you were well armed, I reckoned
that if you did meet the gentleman, you were quite capable of giving a
good account of yourself--and of him."

You who happen to have read my account of the state of my mind, as
faithfully described in these pages, will be able to judge how far my
friend's confidence in me was justified. For myself, I doubt not that
had he met me, the Pirate would have been able to add a second victim to
that night's list with little difficulty. This by the way.

"I did not make a very close examination," continued Forrest, "since
there would be plenty of time for that when the doctor arrived. Besides,
I wished him to see the body in the position we found it. So I turned my
attention to the road again, going over the surface inch by inch in the
most methodical manner. You never know, you see, whether some trifling
object may not be dropped by the criminal which will provide a clue. I
was so engaged when I became aware of a curious humming sound in the
air. I stood upright and peered into the darkness. But my eyes had
become dazzled by looking at the white road in the brilliant light of
the acetylene l