u do not pull up within thirty seconds your fate will be upon your
own heads," said the stranger, shortly, as he laid his hand upon a
lever.

His car leapt away from ours, and though we were running nearly sixty
miles an hour, we might have been standing still, he dropped us so
rapidly. In fifteen seconds he had vanished in a cloud of dust ahead.

"I'm going to stop," said Winter, abruptly. He suited the action to the
word, and none too soon.

Again we heard the curious drone of the strange car as it swooped down
upon us, coming to a sudden halt a yard distant, with really beautiful
precision.

"What do you want?" shouted Winter, in his gruffest tones.

"I'm glad to find you have had the wisdom to do as I desired you," said
the Motor Pirate; for it was indeed he with whom we were now face to
face. "It would have deeply grieved me to wreck so good a car as that
you have there. A Daimler, I believe?"

"Oh, d----n your compliments! What is it you want?" growled Winter.

"Merely any articles of jewellery and any money you may happen to have
about you," remarked the stranger, pleasantly.

I saw the moonlight glitter on the barrel of a revolver as he spoke, and
he now lifted the weapon and pointed it towards us.

"I do not wish to proceed to extremities, and, as I gather from your
speech that I am dealing with gentlemen"--really Winter's language had
fully warranted the sarcasm--"if you will give me your word of honour
that you will hand over to me all articles of value in your possession,
I will leave your car untouched. If, on the contrary, you decline to
oblige me, I shall be under the disagreeable necessity of ruining that
very handsome car you are driving. I do not like to hurry you, but I am
afraid I must ask you to come to a speedy decision on the matter, for
these roads in the vicinity of London are not quite so secluded as one
of my profession could wish."

He delivered this speech with an air of mock politeness, which made
Winter writhe. He did not, however, reply. I think he was too angry.

"Come, gentlemen! Make up your minds. Your money or your--car!"

He made a slight pause before he said the word "car," and his fingers
played with the revolver in a manner that sent a cold shiver down my
spine.

"It's his turn now," I whispered to Winter. "It may be ours presently."

"Come, come, gentlemen!" said the stranger again; "do you give me your
words?"

"D----n you! I suppose we must," jerked out Winte