The very man from whom I had claimed the box at
the railway goods station in Newark confronted me. It appears, from
what Elmer says, that he is taking a holiday and is visiting his
brother, who is the proprietor of the road house.

"And the person who is pursuing me is--a Miss Genevieve Pringle!

"As fate would have it, there lives in Newark a person who really owns
that name which I thought I had invented. It seems that she had been
expecting a shipment, and had called to inquire for it; upon learning
that a box had been delivered to a person in her name she had taken up
the trail at once. Having somehow traced me to Long Island, she had
actually made inquiries at this very road house some hours earlier.
The railway employee, I am certain, would have denounced me at once--he
would have accused me of theft, and would have endeavored to have me
held until he could get into communication with Miss Pringle or with
the authorities--but I bought from him a promise of silence. It cost
me another large sum.

"A few hours ago the chauffeur, divining from a conversation between
Elmer and me that I was running short of ready money, deserted me here.
You know the rest."

Her voice trailed off into a tired whisper as she finished, and with
her elbows on the table Lady Agatha wearily supported her head in her
hands. Her attitude acknowledged defeat. She was despairingly certain
that she would never see the last of the box which she believed to
contain Reginald Maltravers.

Cleggett did not hesitate an instant. "Lady Agatha," he said, "the
Jasper B. is at your service as long as you may require the ship. The
cabin is your home until we arrive at a solution of your difficulties."

His glance and manner added what his tongue left unuttered--that the
commander of the ship was henceforth her devoted cavalier. But she
understood.

She extended her hand. Her answer was on her lips. But at that
instant the jarring roar of an explosion struck the speech from them.

The blast was evidently near, though muffled. The earth shook; a tremor
ran through the Jasper B.; the glasses leaped and rang upon the table.
Cleggett, followed by Lady Agatha, darted up the companionway.

As Cleggett reached the deck there was a second shock, and he beheld a
flame leap out of the earth itself--a sudden sword of fire thrust into
the night from the midst of the sandy plain before him. The light that
stabbed and was gone in an instant was about