CHAPTER VI
I AM ARRESTED
AS I went away from the Maitlands' house I looked neither to the righthand nor to the left. Where I went, whether I trudged along the highroad or tramped across country, I have not to-day the slightest idea. Iwas so enveloped in my own misery, that I was absolutely blind to allexternal objects. I could think of nothing but my dead hopes. So onwardI went, stumbling and splashing through the mud, cursing Mannering,cursing the Motor Pirate, above all cursing myself for my ownpusillanimity. Why had I listened to Winter? Why should I have allowedmyself to be persuaded to play the part of coward, merely that Winter'scar should have been saved from injury?
For a long while my thoughts were as aimless as my progress, butgradually out of the incoherence one idea crystallized. It was not anidea to be proud of. My bitterness of heart produced the natural result,that was all--a burning desire to be revenged upon somebody. Icontemplated revenging myself upon everybody who had anything to do withmy discomfiture, upon Mannering, upon Colonel Maitland, upon the MotorPirate. Finally my choice settled upon the person of the Pirate as themost suitable object; for, next to myself, he was primarily responsiblefor my having made so contemptible a figure.
Of course the decision was absurd. Decisions that are the outcome of anystrong emotion usually are. But it fulfilled a useful purpose. It gavemy mind something else to feed upon than contemplation of my ownunhappiness. It brought me to myself.
To-day I can laugh when I recall the childishness of my actions, theoutcome of the unreasoned promptings of my puerile jealousy. For when Icame to the conclusion to avenge my sufferings upon the Motor Pirate, Isuddenly became aware that it was pitch dark; that I was in the middleof a field; that I was soaked to the skin; that the rain was stillfalling heavily; and that I had not the slightest idea where I was.However, I added one more to the acts of folly I committed that day: Isolemnly held up my hands to the dripping heavens and registered my vowof revenge. Then I pushed on again, but with my physical faculties onthe alert to discover where I was.
I began, too, to feel the discomfort of my position, and became sensibleof a sneaking wish to be before a comfortable fire. I crossed two orthree fields, and eventually coming to a road I followed it, and, afterpaddling through the mud half a mile further, I struck a village, and inthe village an inn.
When I opened the door and walked into the cheerful lamplight of thebar-parlour, the half-dozen occupants of the cosy little room stared atme with astonishment. Well they might. I caught a glimpse of myreflection in the glass behind the bottles--if you have ever seen acorpse fished up by the drags from a river bed, you will be able to formsome idea of the appearance I presented--so that I did not resent theirstare. In fact, I was not in a condition to be able to pay muchattention to the curious glances of the villagers. The warmth of theroom together with the sudden cessation of exertion were for the momenttoo much for me, and it was as much as I could do to stagger to thenearest chair.
Fortunately the landlord was a man with some modicum of common sense. Iam quite sure that I should have been unceremoniously ejected from ninepublic houses out of ten. But mine host of the White Horse--I learnedafterwards that he had been whip to a well-known hunt in the Westcountry--was able to distinguish between fatigue and drunkenness, and hecame at once to my assistance. I heard him speak to me, but I wastotally unable to respond. For a while indeed I must have verged uponunconsciousness, for the next thing of which I became aware was of aglass at my lips containing something sweet and strong.
I sipped. Then I drank. My consciousness returned. In a couple ofminutes I could sit upright. The landlord was beaming at me withbenevolent interest.
"Take another sup, sir," he said. "There's nothing like maraschino andgin when one is a bit overwrought. I've known many a gentleman in mypart of the country who would take nothing else, after a hard day tohounds, to brace him up for those long ten miles home."
I took another sup, and a good one. Then my powers of speech returning,I asked where I was. I found I had not wandered nearly so far as Iexpected. I was barely six miles from my home--at King's Langley; butthis fact was no criterion of the distance I must have traversed in mymad frenzy, for I saw by the clock that the hour was ten. It was aboutfive when I left Colonel Maitland's house, so that I had been pressingonward for five hours in as wild a night as any on which I have everbeen abroad.
I leaned back in my chair with the object of resting a few minutesbefore starting homewards. But, whether owing to the spirit I hadswallowed, or to the heavy exertion I had undergone, or merely becauseof my intense mental fatigue, I felt drowsiness overcoming me so rapidlythat I perceived it would never do for me to give way to it. Pullingmyself together I rose to my feet, at the same time thrusting my handinto my pocket for the money to pay for my drink. The mere act ofrising, however, was almost too much for me. My body felt as stiff as ifI had been beaten all over. Only to move was absolute physical pain. Ilooked at the landlord.
"I'm afraid I am more knocked up than I thought. Can you manage a hotbath and a bed for me to-night?" I asked.
He glanced at me curiously, and, after a moment's consideration, hereplied--
"I'll see what the missus'll say."
Luckily "the missus" said "Yes," so ten minutes later I was sluicing hotwater over my aching limbs with a stable sponge in the bath which, Isuspect, did duty on ordinary occasions for the family washing. Whateverit was, it did excellently well for my purpose. Gradually a deliciousfeeling of relaxation stole over me. I tumbled between the sheets andwas asleep even before my host entered my room to take away my soakedclothing to be dried.
My sleep might have lasted one second. In point of fact I slept untilnine o'clock the next morning, and should have continued to sleep if Ihad not felt a hand on my arm shaking me, and heard a voice bidding mearise. Fancying I was at home, and that my man was calling me, I said,"All right, Wilson," and turned over for another snooze.
"Now then, get up out of that!" said the voice. "None of your shamming!We are not to be put off that way."
It was not Wilson's voice. Wondering what was happening, I sat up in bedand rubbed my eyes sleepily.
"What the deuce----!" I began. Then I stopped suddenly. A couple ofconstables in uniform stood at the bedside, and I gathered that it wasthe voice of the sergeant which had so rudely disturbed my slumbers.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"You know well enough," replied the sergeant. "You make haste and dressyourself and come along with us."
I thought my senses had deserted me.
"What in the name of good fortune for?" I asked.
"You're not going to kid us, my good feller," he answered. Addingfacetiously, "If we puts a name to it and calls it piracy on the 'ighroad, I wonder what you'll 'ave to say to it, remembering, of course,that anything you do say will be taken down and used in evidence againstyou."
Then all that had happened flashed across my mind; my strange appearanceand arrival at the inn; my peculiar manner; my possession of plenty ofmoney; the curious glances of the village folk; the fact that somewherein the vicinity the Motor Pirate had last been seen. Under thecircumstances, nothing could be more likely than that the bucolicintelligence should jump to the conclusion that I was the famouscriminal. To me, however, the idea seemed so absurd that I fell intohearty laughter. My merriment seemed to annoy the sergeant, for hedeclared crossly that if I did not dress quickly, he would find himselfunder the necessity of taking me away as I was.
I thought it expedient to temporize, and as a result of a littlediplomacy, in which one of the coins from my pocket found anotherresting-place, I obtained permission to breakfast before I left.
I made a hearty meal, the landlord attending upon my wants. I was gladto see that he, at least, had no hand in thrusting upon me the indignityof being arrested. He explained as much, telling my captors they weremaking idiots of themselves. As he seemed trustworthy, I gave himWinter's address, with instructions to wire to him, telling him of m
ypredicament, and asking him to come to my assistance.
Necessarily I gave the instructions in the presence of the policemen,and directly I had done so I could see that their cocksureness wasshaken. They became more polite in their attitude, and the sergeant tookthe trouble to explain that he was acting under instructions, and had nooption but to insist upon my accompanying him to Watford.
Into Watford I went accordingly. I am not going to dwell in any detailupon the incidents of the journey; I am naturally of a retiringdisposition, and every circumstance attending my progress was in thenature of an outrage upon my diffidence. For instance, upon my departurefrom the inn, the whole of the population from King's Langley, so far asI could judge, had gathered about the door of the White Horse to give mea send-off. The crowd was in no sense a hostile one. The majority of itscomponent parts, especially the more youthful units, seemed indeed toview me with admiration not unmixed with envy. Only one yokel expresseddisbelief in my identity.
"Ee ain't no pirut," he declared with unconcealed disdain, as he spatinto the gutter. "Anybody can see he's only a toff."
I scarcely knew whether to be pleased with his conclusion or angry thathe should find my personal appearance so unimpressive; and before Icould make up my mind on the subject, I was seated in the trap providedfor us and driven away seated between the two constables.
Our entry into Watford was still more in the nature of a triumph. Longbefore we reached the county police office I was wild enough, at beingmade such an exhibition of, to have given ten years of my life for thechance of punching the head of any one of the throng of gapingonlookers. Then, as a culminating blow to my pride, who should we meetat a point in the High Street where it was impossible to avoidrecognition, but my rival Mannering in his trumpery old motor-car,accompanied by--above all persons in the world, the one I least desiredto see--Miss Maitland.
I ground my teeth with rage, and as I alighted and followed the sergeantinto the police station, I wished that I were the Motor Pirate inreality.
When I reached the presence of the officer in charge of the station Ijust managed to control my temper, though I fancy there must have beentraces of my rage still visible in my voice as I demanded to know why apeaceable citizen should be subjected to such ignominy.
The inspector in reply merely asked me for my name and address.
Before meeting Miss Maitland I had cherished the hope that my identitywould not be disclosed, but now I had no further reason for desiring toconceal it, I gave both at once.
The inspector quietly made a note of them, while another man in plainclothes, who was standing gazing out of the window, suddenly turned onme with the inquiry--
"How comes it, Mr. Sutgrove, that living at St. Albans you should chooseto spend the night at a little inn at King's Langley?"
"I suppose I am at liberty to sleep where I like?" I retorted.
"Perfectly so," replied the stranger. "You will have no difficulty, Ipresume, in proving your identity?"
"Not the slightest," I said. "In fact I have already wired to a friendof mine--Mr. Winter, of Hailscombe, St. Albans--to come here for thepurpose."
"I know Mr. Winter very well," said the inspector.
The stranger looked at me keenly, and when his scrutiny was completed hefell to whistling a bar of Chopin's _Marche Funebre_. Then he turned tohis colleague in uniform.
"It's no go," he said. "This is not our man." Again he turned to me. "Iam Inspector Forrest of Scotland Yard, detailed for special duty inconnection with this Motor Pirate affair. Unfortunately I did not reachWatford until after arrangements had been made to bring you here, or----I hope you will not take it amiss if we detain you until Mr. Winter'sarrival."
This gave me the opening I had been wishing for, and I took it. I said alot more than I can recall now, though I can remember a good deal. Mostof it was to the effect that I would make somebody pay dearly for theannoyance to which I had been subjected.
Inspector Forrest listened patiently to me until I had finished.
"Come, come, Mr. Sutgrove!" he said then. "You must not bear any malice.Surely you must admit that appearances were not altogether in yourfavour," and he detailed to me the information which had led to myarrest. "You see," he said in conclusion, "that practically we had nooption in the matter."
I dissented from his view. He said a word to the inspector in uniform,who left us alone in the room. Then he came close to me and remarked ina confidential tone.
"The fact is, our friend, who has just left us, has been tooprecipitate. You can make things exceedingly unpleasant for him if youlike; but frankly, is it worth while? Think it over a little, bearing inmind that if we are to get hold of the Motor Pirate, we must take thechance of capturing the wrong man, since there is no description of himobtainable. You will not be the only one, I'll swear."
Since I had relieved my mind I felt better. Besides I was ratherattracted by the personality of the man who was speaking to me. He didnot at all fulfil my idea of a detective. He was a tall, slight, stifflybuilt man, with a pleasant open face and an agreeable manner. I saw,too, that I had only my own folly to blame for the predicament in whichI now found myself.
In another ten minutes he was smoking one of my cigars and we werechatting confidentially. Before twenty had elapsed, I had confided tohim not only Winter's and my own experience with the Motor Pirate, butalso the chain of events which had led to my spending the night at theinn. He was exceedingly sympathetic and quite grave throughout, thoughhe appeared more interested in the encounter with the Pirate than in theaccount of my mental tortures. However, when I told him of my vow, hebrightened up and asked me if I was still determined to keep it.
I had just assured him that I would willingly spend the rest of my lifein the quest, when the other inspector entered the room and with himWinter. The latter came straight across to me and held out his hand, andnever in my life was I so glad to see his honest face and beaming smile.
"What have you been up to now, Sutgrove?" he remarked. "Not emulatingthe deeds of the Motor Pirate?"
"The police have somehow arrived at the conclusion that I am thatdistinguished person himself," I replied ruefully.
He roared with laughter. It was infectious. There was no help for it.The two inspectors joined in the merriment, and the last of my anger wasborne away on the flood.
There was of course no question of my further detention. In a fewminutes I was seated beside Winter in his car, and we were making themud fly as we dashed towards St. Albans.
Inspector Forrest accompanied us. I had promised to find him some lunchif he would do so, and to drive him back afterwards, and he was glad ofthe opportunity of obtaining from us such particulars as we couldfurnish him with concerning the person of whom he was in search.