the car.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, sir, but I must ask you to come with me to
the police-office."

"Why?" I inquired, with well-assumed indignation. "My lamps are all
alight, and I have contravened no law, surely!"

"You are an Englishman. I hear that from your speech."

"That is so. My name is Hartley--William Hartley, and I live in
Liverpool."

"We shall not detain you long," was his reply. "I am only carrying out
an order we have received."

"An order--what order?"

"To arrest an Englishman who is escaping on a motor-car."

"And am I the Englishman, pray?" I asked sarcastically. "Come, this
is really too huge a joke! Haven't you got the gentleman's personal
description? What has he done that you should be in search of him?"

"I don't know. The chief has all particulars. Let us go together."

"Oh, very well," I laughed reluctantly. "Just get up here, and I'll
drive you to the office. Which way is it?"

"Straight along," he said, climbing clumsily into the seat beside me.
"Straight along almost to the end of the town, and then sharp to the
left. I will show you."

As soon as he had settled himself I put such a move on the car that
his breath was almost taken away. Should I take him out into the
darkness beyond the town and there drop him? If I did so, I should
surely be arrested, sooner or later. No. The car was disguised by
its dark-red enamel, and though I had no intention of going into a
brilliantly-lighted office, I felt certain that, if I kept cool, I
could allay the suspicion of the police-official on night-duty.

Ten minutes later I pulled up before the police-office and got down. In
order not to enter into the light, I made an excuse that my engine was
not running properly, unlocked the "bonnet" and tinkered with it until
the official came out to inspect me.

He was a burly, fair-bearded man, with a harsh, gruff voice.

In his hand he carried a slip of paper, which he consulted by the light
of my glaring head-lamps. I saw that it was a copy of a telegram he had
received giving my description, for the previous identification-number
of the car was written there.

For a few moments he stood in silence with the man who had arrested my
progress, then, seeing from his face that he found both myself and the
car the exact opposite of what was reported, I said, in an irritated
tone of indignation--

"I must really object to being thus brought here against my will. As a
foreigner, I cannot enterta