e nuts of the
covering, I wheeled the car into the open road. There I saw Forrest
leaning against the wall of the coach-house, a figure of inexpressible
dejection.

"Come and lend a hand!" I shouted.

The light that flashed into his face, as he realized what I would be at,
was extraordinary. He sprang forward at once to my assistance. Now, in
my attempts to get at the machinery of the car, I had discovered the
plates with which Mannering had been wont to disguise its shape, and it
occurred to me that they performed the further purpose of diminishing
the wind resistance, so that if I wanted to get the full speed out of
the car it would be necessary to fix them in their places. I immediately
set to work to join up the various sections, leaving Forrest to bolt
them together. We worked like niggers at the job, and it was nearly
completed when a curious sound came down the breeze. I looked up, and to
my surprise I saw the Pirate once more approaching.

"Look!" I shouted to Forrest in my excitement, though there was no need
to warn him.

Nearer the Pirate came; still nearer. Every moment I expected to see him
pull up and surrender. But it was a mad hope. He had not the slightest
intention of so obliging us. As he approached, he suddenly increased his
pace and flashed past us at full sixty miles an hour.

Forrest fingered a revolver, but he dared not shoot for fear the bullet
should find the slender form of Evie, who we saw was huddled close to
his side. Mannering laughed as he passed us and waved his hand in
derision.

"There are a couple of masks in the coach-house," I said quietly to the
detective.

He darted into the doorway and returned a moment later with them,
thrusting at the same time a bottle into his pocket. It took us no time
to climb into the car and as, during his momentary absence, I had
succeeded in starting the engine, we were in a position to move at once.

For a hundred yards we travelled at the speed at which we were
accustomed to see Mannering while using the car in the sight of men and
in the light of day. Then with a word of warning to my companion, I
pulled at the change-speed lever. The effect was marvellous. The car
seemed to leap forward and the hedges suddenly transformed themselves
into long green streaks.

A cloud of dust on the road ahead gave the direction Mannering had
taken, so I jammed down the lever to its limit and commenced the
pursuit. At any other time the idea of chasing the