was
champagne more grateful or more useful. My strength returned to me
instantaneously. My brain cleared. My eyes saw. My hope returned. I drew
a deep sigh of relief. Forrest handed me the bottle again.

"After you," I said.

He took a drink and then remarked authoritatively, "Finish the bottle."

I obeyed and, draining it, tossed it into the hedge and once more set
the car in motion. If our progress had been speedy before, when we were
once through Penzance, it became absolutely reckless.

My brain was dancing from the effect of the champagne, and a wild
exhilaration throbbed in every artery. The pace was tremendous, and we
had not left Penzance a couple of miles behind us before the fugitives
came once more into view. Now for the first time I could see that we
were holding our own in the race. It may have been that some bearing had
become heated in the car Mannering was driving, for undoubtedly his new
car was more speedy than the old, but it was clear that he could no
longer leave us as he had been able to do in the earlier part of the
chase. If only I could increase ever so slightly the speed of my car, I
felt confident of overtaking him. I motioned to Forrest to bend towards
me, and when his ear was level with my mouth, I asked him to throw
everything which could be got rid of overboard, in order to lighten the
car. He took my meaning at once, and away went the cushions and rugs.
The difference was slight, but still there was a perceptible difference.
At the pace we were now travelling the car rocked from side to side of
the road, and Forrest had to brace himself stiffly against the
foot-board to prevent himself being thrown out. But we were gaining foot
by foot on the fugitives. I felt a thrill of delight when, on reaching
the brow of a hill, I saw the white car only two hundred yards ahead,
and reckoned that in a couple of minutes we should have overtaken them.

But one thing I had overlooked. I became conscious that we should soon
be at the end of our journey, for suddenly I saw the sea on the horizon.
I knew now where we were, knew that the end was in sight. For Mannering
there could be no return, and I shouted aloud with exultation when I
realized it. We drew closer to him, so close that I fancied I could see
his eyes glittering through the mica plate of his mask as he turned to
look at us.

A sudden horror gripped me by the throat. He surely must know as well as
myself that he was near the spot where al