r, almost inarticulate
with rage.

"Each of you will dismount in turn and lay the contents of your pockets
before me here." He indicated a level shelf, which formed apparently
part of the casing of one of the wheels. "I must insist upon seeing the
linings of your pockets; and I need hardly warn you that it will be
extremely undesirable for you to make any movement liable to
misconstruction. This toy"--he lifted his pistol--"has a very delicate
touch. Now, gentlemen. One at a time, please, and do not wait to discuss
the question of precedence. I am quite willing to overlook any little
informality."

I listened closely to his speech, but the voice was so muffled by the
mask he wore, that I felt I should be unable to recognize it again. Only
one point I was assured upon--that the Pirate was an educated man.

Meanwhile what were we to do? All sorts of wild plans were darting
through my brain, and I knew that Winter's mind must be equally active.
But out of the medley no coherent scheme took shape. Winter dismounted,
and, throwing off his overcoat, advanced into the brilliant circle of
light cast by our lamps, and proceeded to empty his pockets. He laid his
note-case, his watch and chain, and sovereign-purse upon the car in
front of the highwayman, and, in obedience to a further command, added
the diamond which shone upon his little finger, and another which
adorned his shirt-front, to the pile. Then he resumed his place in the
car, and I passed through a similar humiliating ordeal. All the while
the stranger kept up a flow of apologies for the inconvenience which his
necessities compelled him to occasion us. I kept silence, though I must
confess the effort was a considerable strain upon my temper. Still, a
pistol with a business man at the butt end of it, is of considerable
assistance in preventing the exhibition of annoyance.

"If the other gentleman will make haste, I shall be the sooner able to
relieve you of my unwelcome society," the Pirate remarked, as I returned
to our car after handing over all the valuables in my possession.

In the excitement, I had, until this moment, entirely forgotten the
presence of Colonel Maitland; and now, looking closely at him, I
discovered that he was still in happy ignorance of the _contretemps_
which had befallen us. Swathed in rugs, he was propped up on the seat
behind us slumbering peacefully. A smile was upon his rosy face, and
ever and again he smacked his lips. He must have b