s he came out of the front-door, his eyes fell on a lonely, deserted
motor-car. In a breath he had pitied its loneliness, seen its use, and
jumped into it. He set it going, and in three minutes caught up his
father, Rainer, and the detective. Sir Tancred jumped into the seat
beside him, Rainer and the detective into the back seat.

"Whose car is this? How did you get it?" said Sir Tancred.

"I commandeered it," said Tinker firmly. "And I was lucky too; it's a
good car."

"I suppose there'll be a row about it. But we've got to use it," said
Sir Tancred.

"Oh, no! there won't," said Tinker cheerfully. "When we come back,
everyone but me can get out. I'll take it back, and explain things."

For a mile Tinker sent the car along at full speed. Then he slowed
down, and pulling up at every opening into the hills or down to the
shore, sent a long coo-ee ringing down it. No answer came back. At
the end of two miles his face was growing graver and graver, and its
gravity was reflected in the faces of the three men. At the end of two
miles and a half he stopped the car, and said, "They can't have gone
further than this."

"Just too late," muttered Septimus Rainer; and they looked at one
another with questioning eyes.

"Well, there's no time to be lost," said Sir Tancred. "Mr. Buist had
better hurry back to Monte Carlo, to the Hotel des Princes, in case
we've missed them. We will go on hard, and he can wire to us, if they
come back to the hotel, at Ventimiglia."

"That's all very well," said the detective with a sudden air of
stubbornness. "But I don't like the look of the business. It's a
curious thing that Miss Rainer, the daughter of a millionaire, should
be a governess in your family. I don't understand it. There is a
chance, and I'm bound to consider it, of your being mixed up with this
kidnapping gang. What's to prevent you kidnapping Mr. Rainer?"

Sir Tancred's eyes flashed, and he looked as though he could not
believe his ears. Tinker laughed a gentle, joyful laugh.

"I mean no offence, sir," said the detective with some haste, at the
sight of Sir Tancred's face. "But I'm bound to look at it all ways."

"Just as you like," said Sir Tancred quietly. "Let Mr. Rainer go back,
or both of you go back. Only be quick!"

The millionaire had watched the faces of father and son with very keen
eyes while the detective had been speaking: "Off you go, Buist!" he
broke in. "I know where I am! Go, ma