his pocket and clinked them together. Then he
proceeded to investigate the contents of the harness-room, while I went
back to the new car and began a careful examination of the engines. The
whole mechanism was, however, so novel to me, that I could only surmise
as to the method of its working. I did notice, however, that the driving
and steering gear varied very little from that of my own car, so far as
it was controlled by the levers and wheel, while the breaks seemed to be
particularly powerful. There was only seating accommodation for two, and
judging from the size of the tank which was fitted behind the seat, I
judged that Mannering contemplated runs over distances which would make
large demands upon his supply of liquid gas.

At the moment I made this discovery, I heard Forrest call to me in an
excited whisper, and going across to him, I found him contemplating with
keen interest a dirty piece of rope.

"Look here, Sutgrove," he said; "this is the piece of cord with which he
trussed me up on the occasion when he dropped me into the pond. Compare
it with this"--he kicked a coil which lay at his feet--"and tell me if
they are not identical."

I examined them both, and came to the conclusion that Forrest was
correct in his supposition. Next, mounting one of the chairs, he
proceeded to rummage amongst the rubbish piled on the shelf. A moment
later he observed triumphantly, albeit in subdued tones, "Another piece
of evidence," and descending from his perch, he handed me a box of
cartridges. A glance at the label had apparently been enough,
nevertheless, to make sure, he searched again in his pocket, and
produced the bullet which had proved fatal to the poor victim at
Towcester. He compared it with one of the cartridges, and gave a grunt
of content. "I fancy we shall soon obtain sufficient evidence to hang
him," he murmured. Then a shadow crossed his face. "What an infernal
dunderhead I have been not to suspect him before," he said, and turning
impatiently away, he replaced the box of cartridges on the shelf, before
renewing his systematic examination of the rest of the contents of the
room. The search revealed nothing further, and at length he desisted.

All the while we were keenly on the alert to detect any sound which
should tell us of the approach of Mannering's car. But the minutes
passed and grew into hours without a sign. It must have been about five
in the morning when we had entered the coach-house, and when