whose ugliness was further enhanced by the
red stubbly growth of a week's beard.

"I guess youse gents has rescued me unbeknownst, and I'm much obleeged,
though I don't know but what I'd rather break stones up to Sing Sing
than be chucked round the way I has been for the last hour."

"Who are you?" demanded Banborough.

"Me?" said the figure. "Oh, I'm a anarchist."

CHAPTER IV.

IN WHICH THE BLACK MARIA RECEIVES A NEW INMATE.

At the sight of this astonishing and utterly unlooked-for personage, the
actor and the Englishman stood for a moment gaping at each other in
surprised silence. Then, as the full force of what they had done
occurred to them, and they realised that, at great risk of life, limb,
and freedom, they had rescued from the clutches of the law an utterly
worthless tramp, they burst into peals of uncontrollable laughter.

"But where's Violet?" gasped Spotts, who was the first to recover
himself.

"Oh, there's a lady in there, if you mean _her_," said the tramp,
indicating the cavernous depths of the Black Maria.

"Yes, I'm here all right," came the welcome tones of the little
actress's voice. "I'll be out in just a moment, as soon as I've put
myself straight. You're the most reckless drivers I ever saw."

"I'm awfully sorry," said Banborough, approaching the door to help her
out. "But circumstances didn't leave us much choice."

"Apparently not," she replied, and a moment later stood in their midst,
looking even more bewitching than usual in her dishevelled condition.
Then as she drew a long breath, inhaling the fresh woodland air, and
realising all the joy of her restored freedom, the eternal feminine
reasserted itself, and, seizing both of Spotts's hands, she cried
impetuously: "Look at me, Alvy, and tell me if my hat is straight."

They all laughed, which broke the tension of the situation.

"I don't know what you must think of us," said Banborough.

"I thought I was being run away with at first," she said; "but when I
heard Alvy's voice on the box I knew it must be all right."

"Of course," continued Cecil, "we hadn't the least idea there was
anybody else in the van."

"Oh, I didn't mind so much," she said. "He was quite nice and
respectful, and very soft to fall on. I guess he must be all black and
blue from the number of times I hit him."

"Well, you're safe, and that's the main thing," said Spotts.

"But what does it all mean?" she demanded.

"Oh, there's time enough fo