ne,
trussed like a fowl, and lying on the slippery surface of the Pirate car
I had come out to capture."

"Not exactly a pleasant position," I remarked, as Forrest paused to
moisten his throat with the whisky-and-soda at his elbow.

"No; but the worst was yet to come. He had no sooner secured my arms
than he drew another piece of cord through the band, and fastened it
somewhere or other. 'Now, if ever you pray, Inspector,' he remarked,
with some more of his beastly merriment, 'pray that this rope doesn't
break; for if it should happen to do so at the pace we shall be
travelling, you will go to hell even sooner than I intend you to do.'

"With that he set his car in motion, and, judging by the way the wind
stung me, the pace was something terrific. At first I attempted to pay
some attention to the direction we took. But I soon gave up the idea. My
position on the car was not one from which I could observe anything with
any degree of comfort. With my arms bound, I sprawled out upon the
smooth, curved bonnet of the confounded car, only held on by a cord
which I expected to break and send me flying into the next world every
time we touched a stone, or crossed a rut. My heart was in my mouth for
the next hour or so, but afterwards I think I grew careless or callous.
He had pulled the cord round my arms pretty tightly; that numbed me all
over, and the exposure to the air did the rest. I fell into a dreamy
condition. I only know that never for a moment were we still. There was
always the drone of the wheels in my ears, and whenever I made a
struggle and opened my eyes, all I could see was the blacker streak in
the blackness caused by the hedges flying past. Heaven only knows how
far and where we went. It seemed an eternity until it ended. But by then
I was very near unconsciousness. I have a sort of impression the car did
stop. I fancy that I saw the Pirate's mask bent closely over me while he
examined me, that I heard him say, 'I don't think, Mr. Inspector, your
attentions will trouble me much more.' I do remember distinctly being
lifted in his powerful hands. I felt him swing me once, twice, thrice;
then I felt myself flying in the air, and the next moment my senses came
back to me with a rush, for I plumped into several feet of water."

"Well?" I ejaculated, as Forrest paused to light another cigarette. I
was so interested that I grudged him a moment's delay before completing
the story.

"The curious thing to my mind i