r his release."

"Oho!"

"Monsieur le President, your consent will be an act of justice and I beg
you to grant it. Sergeant Mazerou shall leave France. He can be charged
by the government with a secret mission in the south of Morocco, with the
rank of colonial inspector."

"Agreed," said Valenglay, laughing heartily. And he added, "My dear
Prefect, once we depart from the strictly lawful path, there's no saying
where we come to. But the end justifies the means; and the end which we
have in view is to have done with this loathsome Mornington case."

"This evening everything will be settled," said Don Luis.

"I hope so. Our men are on the track."

"They are on the track, but they have to check that track at every town,
at every village, by inquiries made of every peasant they meet; they have
to find out if the motor has not branched off somewhere; and they are
wasting time. I shall go straight for the scoundrel."

"By what miracle?"

"That must be my secret for the present, Monsieur le President."

"Very well. Is there anything you want?"

"This map of France."

"Take it."

"And a couple of revolvers."

"Monsieur le Prefet will be good enough to ask his inspectors for two
revolvers and to give them to you. Is that all? Any money?"

"No, thank you, Monsieur le President. I always carry a useful fifty
thousand francs in my pocket-book, in case of need."

"In that case," said the Prefect of Police, "I shall have to send some
one with you to the lockup. I presume your pocket-book was among the
things taken from you."

Don Luis smiled:

"Monsieur le Prefet, the things that people can take from me are never of
the least importance. My pocket-book is at the lockup, as you say. But
the money--"

He raised his left leg, took his boot in his hands and gave a slight
twist to the heel. There was a little click, and a sort of double drawer
shot out of the front of the sole. It contained two sheafs of bank notes
and a number of diminutive articles, such as a gimlet, a watch spring,
and some pills.

"The wherewithal to escape," he said, "to live and--to die. Good-bye,
Monsieur le President."

In the hall M. Desmalions told the inspectors to let their prisoner go
free. Don Luis asked:

"Monsieur le Prefet, did Deputy Chief Weber give you any particulars
about the brute's car?"

"Yes, he telephoned from Versailles. It's a deep-yellow car, belonging to
the Compagnie des Cometes. The driver's seat is on the lef