seated car, with a tonneau
body, but that the seat had been set back, and the bonnet was enclosed
by metal plates shaped into the form of the bow of a canoe, and bolted
together in a manner which gave the impression that they might easily be
removed. Why," continued the detective, "I did not think of so obvious a
solution of the Pirate's mysterious disappearances before I cannot
imagine. It is the trick the black flag merchants have practised since
the days of Captain Kidd."

I was silent. I could only wonder at my own blindness. Then an excuse
occurred to me.

"After all," I remarked, "we only met him in the dark."

CHAPTER XXI

WE PLAN AN AMBUSH

FORREST had just concluded his story when the lights of Thetford gleamed
in our eyes. The time was 12.30. The last train was gone. The
inhabitants were all in bed, and there we were, stranded with a broken
car, and no means of putting it right. Forrest would not despair,
however, and after some difficulty we managed, with the assistance of
the local police, to knock up a man who was locally reputed to know all
about motors. He was a little surly at first, but the inducement I
offered him to make an attempt to put the transmission right, was
sufficient to dissipate his very natural disgust at being disturbed in
his beauty sleep. Fortunately his local reputation had reasonable
foundation. He was a very capable mechanician, and the way he set about
the job gave me great hopes that the car would run as well as ever when
he had done with it. And my expectations were gratified. In less than an
hour he had completed the repairs. I paid him and asked him to remain up
for ten minutes in case we had another breakdown, telling him that after
that period had elapsed, he would be at liberty to return to his bed.
Whether he waited the ten minutes or not I do not know, for by that time
we were halfway to Newmarket, flying through the darkness at a pace
which two months previously I would not have dared venture upon in broad
daylight. And right onward to St. Albans, we kept it up, reaching the
ancient town just as the birds began to twitter in the hedges at the
first grey light of early dawn. At St. Albans we stopped at the
police-station. A man was waiting at the door.

"Any news?" asked Forrest.

The man shook his head.

"You know where to bring it?" asked my companion.

The man nodded.

"Let us get on home," said Forrest to me.

As I wheeled my vehicle into my yard