after I had finished my
dinner," said the Captain, which seemed to me quite Canadian and
reasonable.

He had not raised his cup to his lips when the same porter tapped him
a second time on the shoulder, with "Beg pardon, sir, but the officer
says he can't wait." We were grieved, and looked it.

"It's very unreasonable," said the Captain, "to disturb us at dinner
like this."

"If we don't go now I guess it will take a good deal longer to get the
car away from the police station," I said. "Besides, supposing Rad has
cheeked them and they lock him up, we won't be able to get back till
tomorrow. None of us can run the car well enough to get out of London
without getting into a smash up." So saying, I put on my coat and
sallied forth.

Before I got to the front door I could tell there was something doing,
for the restaurant windows were filled with diners standing on chairs.
Through a vacant space I could see a great crowd and two policemen's
helmets standing up above the middle of the throng. They considerately
opened a passage up for me to the two policemen who were standing
beside the car with Rad at the wheel looking quite unconcerned.

"What is the matter?" I demanded.

"Your car has no number on it," said a policeman.

It was so similar to our experience the week before at Bournemouth
that I smiled inwardly, and went through the same formula.

"Why should a government car have a number?" I asked.

"To identify it, sir, those are our orders, sir."

"Can't you identify that car?" I asked. "It says, written in big
letters on the front, "Canadian Government, Divisional Headquarters,"
in case you can't read! The car belongs to the Canadian Government. We
are waiting to go to France; we came into London less than an hour ago
on business to the War Office. Is there anything more you want?"

"We would like the chauffeur's name," said the cub policeman, who had
caused the trouble. I spelled it out to him three times; it sounded
very German, but he said nothing.

Then in turn I took out my note book and took the numbers of the
policemen. The crowd had listened with great interest, and were
evidently against the policemen. A boy looked under a policeman's arm
and grinned; I winked at him covertly, and he went into a paroxysm of
laughter. Then with dignity I got into the car and we drove off to the
bank, leaving behind the discomfited policemen and a crowd of several
hundred people.

"Where did the cop get hold o