CHAPTER XX
RELATES HOW THE PIRATE HOLDS UP AN AUGUST PERSONAGE
I REACHED my destination about five, and found, as I hoped, a telegramawaiting my arrival. It read--
"Ever so much better. Do not worry about me. Cannot spare you for long though. Lots of love.--E."
With my mind very much relieved, I was able to devote my attention to myaunt, who was full of questions as to the reason for my unexpectedarrival and equally eager for a full account of my doings during thepast six months, during which time, she assured me, I had grosslyneglected my duties, especially by my failure to keep her adequatelyposted regarding my engagement.
I was anxious, after reading Evie's wire, to start forthwith for St.Albans; my aunt was equally anxious that I should remain the night atSutgrove, and while we were arguing the point, a second telegramarrived, which settled the matter. I tore open the envelope and read--
"Meet the 8.49 at Cromer with motor. Do not fail. Most important.--FORREST."
The message had been handed in at Liverpool Street at 4.50, and Iwondered what could have happened to necessitate Forrest's presence inNorfolk. There was little use speculating, however, and I settled downto satiate, if it were possible, my aunt's curiosity.
She was duly impressed by such of my adventures as I thought fit torelate, but she was not neglectful of what she considered her duties ashostess and, in spite of the fact that I had eaten a hearty lunch abouttwo, I was able shortly after seven to do adequate justice to the earlydinner which she provided for me. I left home soon after eight, and, inconsequence of my impatience, had to wait ten minutes on the Cromerplatform for the arrival of the train.
As the engine drew into the station, I saw Forrest's head thrust out ofthe window of one of the carriages, and, before the train had come to astandstill, he had leaped from the door and was at my side. He was forhim unusually excited, and, without reply to my greeting, save with asilent hand grip, he said--
"Seen anything of Mannering?"
"Why, yes," I replied directly. "I lunched with him, to-day. He'sstopping at the Royal."
"That's a bit of luck," replied the detective. "Come along;" and hepushed on in advance of me through the barrier.
"What has happened?" I asked, as I caught him up in the station yard.
"I hold a warrant for his arrest, and I am desirous of executing it atthe earliest possible moment, that's all," he replied.
I could hardly believe my ears. "What in the world for?" I asked.
"What should it be for?" said Forrest, with a touch of sarcasm in thetone of his voice.
"He cannot be the Motor Pirate. It is impossible. He could not havedeceived me so completely," I exclaimed.
"I would stake everything I hope for in the future, as well aseverything I possess at the present moment, that he is though," returnedthe detective with conviction. "But we must not waste time. Take me tothe hotel."
Without stopping to argue the point, I jumped on my car, Forrest tookthe seat beside me, and we proceeded to the Royal.
"Leave the car and come with me, I may want your assistance," he said,as we pulled up at the entrance to the hotel.
He sprang out the moment I stopped and ran briskly up the steps. Aporter was in the hall, and to him Forrest turned.
"I want to see a Mr. Mannering, who is stopping here, at once, and I donot wish to be announced," he said.
The man walked across to the office and made an inquiry of the clerk,then returning, announced that Mannering had left an hour previously.
"Left?" said Forrest, and his jaw fell. He stepped across to the officehimself, only to learn that though Mannering had booked a room for thenight, he had after dinner called for his bill, paid it, and left on hismotor, without giving any reason for his alteration of plans.
Forrest stalked out of the hotel, his brow heavy with thought. Ifollowed him. He stepped on to the car, and, taking my seat, I asked himtersely--
"Where to?"
"St. Albans," he replied with brevity equal to my own, and withoutfurther question we were off.
"Don't mind taking a few risks," he said presently. "The sooner we canget there the better I shall be pleased."
Then, leaning back in his seat, he asked me to tell him how I happenedto learn of Mannering's presence in Cromer, and what he had said toconvince me that he was in no way connected with the Pirate. So while wewere still running at a moderate pace, I gave him a brief history of myadventures of the previous night. Before I had concluded, however, theroad ahead seemed clear, and, pulling my mask over my face, I jammed onmy highest speed and conversation became impossible.
Forrest pulled his cap down over his eyes and, turning his coat-collarabout his ears, settled himself apparently to slumber. Within half anhour the lights of Norwich sparkled in front of us, and it becamenecessary to slacken speed. Forrest immediately resumed the conversationat the point where we had broken off, and questioned me closely withregard to what Mannering had said to me. Once and again I endeavouredto ascertain what had induced him to take out the warrant; but he wouldnot satisfy my curiosity, declaring that it was of more importance thathe should know all that I could tell him first. There seemed littlelikelihood of my learning anything, for we soon left Norwich behind us,and were running at full speed on the road to Thetford and Newmarket,slackening speed only slightly as we swept through the villages andtrusting to the continuous toot-toot of the horn to clear our path. Ourprogress was uninterrupted until we had reached and left the little townof Attleborough five or six miles behind us, when Forrest was affordedan opportunity, much to his chagrin, of giving me the reasons for hishaste.
Incidentally, I may remark, that the occurrence which afforded thisopportunity came very near depriving me of the chance of hearinganything from anybody, or him from ever opening his lips again, forwhile we swept along at our top speed there was a sudden hissing sound,a sudden succession of jars, and the car swerved violently, nearlyoverturning. I jammed on both my breaks, and by good fortune the car didnot overturn. I guessed what had happened, and there was no need for meto get a light to make sure--my sense of touch informed me that the offback tyre was as flat as a pancake.
I hoped that the injury was only slight, but my hopes faded the moment Iexamined the injury. The tyre had picked up a curved and pointed pieceof iron, and had been irreparably damaged. No patching was of any use.There was nothing for it but to replace the tyre with a new one.Fortunately, I was prepared with a spare outer cover as well as innertubes, and, with a muttered curse, I threw off my coat and set about thejob. Then when that was done, and it took me a good hour to complete thetask, I discovered, on restarting the car, that a further misfortune hadbefallen us. Either owing to the jumping of the car when the tyre went,or more likely because of the sudden application, the footbreak hadseized, and the transmission was so far injured that I could not get thecar along above seven or eight miles an hour. I did my best to put thedamage right. I lay on my back in the middle of the road, and used allthe language approved by the most fluent members of the Automobile Clubfor use on such occasions, but entirely without result. Exactly where wewere I did not know, and, after I had relieved my feelings, I thought itbest to jog along until we came to some town where it would be possibleto get skilled assistance.
And it was while we were progressing in this humdrum fashion thatForrest confided to me the reasons for his anxiety.
"In the first place," he said, "your theory as to the stud found byMannering's servants proved to be correct. It was Winter's. I arrived atSt. Albans the first thing this morning, and, after getting your note,went straight away and interviewed the girls. They handed me thetrinket. I took it to Winter, and he identified it. He will swear to itanywhere. By the time I had done this, your wire for me had arrived,and your man, having seen me go into Winter's house, brought it on. Itook the next train to town and went straight to the Yard, thankful thatat last I was able to report something definite. Besides, I wa
nted totake a warrant without any one being aware of it, and I knew I couldmanage that better in London than in the country. Well, I called at theYard, ran across to Bow Street and got my warrant, and returned to theYard in order to instruct a couple of our men who had been placed at mydisposal. While I was there particulars came to hand of a feat whichthrows all the other doings of the Pirate into the shade. You mentioned,I think, that Mannering, when he told Miss Maitland that he was goingaway, said that all England would be talking of him."
"She said so," I replied doubtfully; "but she was so excited----"
"She was probably correct in her recollection of what passed," he said."If further proof were wanted to connect your friend with the MotorPirate, those words would be sufficient. If what I know leaks out, thePirate will fill the popular mind more to-morrow than he has done in thepast even. Yesterday morning, within six miles of Sandringham, he heldup"--he hesitated--"I must mention no names--he held up, let me say, anAugust Personage----"
"The King?" I cried.
"An August Personage," remarked Forrest, severely, "in broad daylight."
"Let me hear all about it?" I asked eagerly.
"I don't know that I can tell you everything, for so far I only know theparticulars wired to the Yard. But the story is complete enough toenable me to do what I have hitherto failed in, and that is, completethe necessary identification of our friend Mannering. And curiouslyenough, it is owing to the keen powers of observation possessed bythe----"
"The August Personage," I reminded him, a trifle maliciously as hehesitated.
Forrest laughed. "Quite right, you score that time," he remarked, beforeresuming his tale. "Owing to the August Personage's keen powers ofobservation, I am able to lay my finger on the one point which haspuzzled me, namely, the manner by which Mannering has managed to escapesuspicion. It is a simple trick. So simple, in fact, that I cannotconceive how I managed to overlook such a possibility for so long.However, you shall hear the facts as they were told to me, and judge foryourself with what transparent means we have been hoodwinked by therascal. The August Personage, who, as you are probably aware, has beenstaying at Sandringham for some days past, has been in the habit oftaking a ride on one of his cars whenever the roads were in goodcondition, accompanied only by his chauffeur. This morning he startedfor the customary run shortly after eleven, with the intention of takinga circular trip through Hunstanton, Burnham, Docking and Bircham, andreturning for luncheon. The intention was not fulfilled since, beforereaching Hunstanton, the Pirate made his appearance, and approaching asusual from behind, overtook the August motor. The August driver did notat first take any notice of the approaching car, but, merely imaginingthat the driver had recognized him, and felt some delicacy at passing,he signalled with his hand for the stranger to go ahead. What was hissurprise to hear the stranger in a loud voice bid him stop his car. Heturned to look at the audacious person who had dared take suchunwarrantable liberty, and at once observed with whom he had to deal.The Pirate had in his hand a revolver, which was levelled at the Augusthead. The August face flushed with anger, and turning away, hecontemptuously took no notice of the summons. The Pirate thereupon firedtwo shots, aimed, fortunately, neither at the August Personage nor atthe chauffeur, but at the tyres of the back wheels. The aim was good,the tyres ran down at once, and the August Personage found progress onthe rims to be so uncomfortable that he thought it desirable to stop.The stranger ranged alongside, and the chauffeur, rising from his seat,was about to throw himself at the throat of the assailant, when hisAugust master laid a hand upon his arm.
"'No, no,' he said, 'I can easily get another car, but I do not knowthat I could replace my chauffeur.'
"Thereupon the Pirate observed, 'I think, sir, there is so much wisdomin your remark that, in spite of my necessities, I almost feel inclinedto forego my usual toll in your case.
"The August Personage, whose coolness had never for a moment desertedhim, replied imperturbably--
"'Having robbed me of a morning's enjoyment, it seems to me there isnothing of any particular value left for you to take.'
"'Then, sir,' replied the rascal, 'you will be doubtless glad topurchase my immediate disappearance with the contents of the Augustpockets?'
"August was not the word he used, but it was one which showed that hewas acquainted with the personality of his victim.
"The August Personage shrugged his shoulders, and, searching hispockets, could produce nothing but a cigarette case and a button. Toshow his _sang-froid_, I need only remark that when he produced thelatter article he laughed heartily and said to the chauffeur--
"'I hope, P----, you have something to add to the contents of mypockets, or I fear this too eager gentleman will destroy our front tyresas well as the back.'
"The chauffeur had some loose gold, a silver matchbox, and a watch, andwhen these were produced, speaking with the same nonchalance he hadretained throughout, the August Personage remarked--
"'I fear you have drawn a blank this time, Mr. Pirate; for, upon myword, that is the best I can do for you.'
"The Pirate took the articles. Then he raised his hat. 'I take,' hesaid, 'the August word as readily as I take these souvenirs of thismemorable meeting,' and with these words, he pulled a lever and wasspeedily out of sight."
"By Jove!" I muttered. "The fellow's audacity is almost past belief. Butyou said something of observations made by the August victim?"
"Yes," said Forrest. "The chauffeur was much too agitated to noticeanything, but his master was not. He observed four things. First, thatthe Pirate was a man of about six feet in height."
"Mannering is five feet eleven and a quarter in his socks," I remarked.
"Secondly, that his hair was black. Thirdly, that the nails of the righthand, with which he took his plunder, were bitten to the quick."
"The identification becomes nearly perfect," I interrupted.
"Fourthly, that the car was originally a two-seated car, with a tonneaubody, but that the seat had been set back, and the bonnet was enclosedby metal plates shaped into the form of the bow of a canoe, and boltedtogether in a manner which gave the impression that they might easily beremoved. Why," continued the detective, "I did not think of so obvious asolution of the Pirate's mysterious disappearances before I cannotimagine. It is the trick the black flag merchants have practised sincethe days of Captain Kidd."
I was silent. I could only wonder at my own blindness. Then an excuseoccurred to me.
"After all," I remarked, "we only met him in the dark."