? Three, sir."

Eaton started. "Only three; you're sure?"

"Yes, sir; I could see them plain. There was the two at the pump; one
more stayed in the car."

Eaton seized the man in his intentness. "You're sure there weren't any
more, Dibley? Think; be sure! There weren't three more or even one
more person hidden in the tonneau of the car?"

"The tonneau, sir?"

"The back seats, I mean."

"No, sir; I could see into the car. It was almost right below me, sir.
My house has a room above; that's where I was sleeping."

"Then did you watch the men with the water?"

"Watch them, sir?"

"What they did with it; you're sure they didn't take it to the rear
seat to give it to some one there. You see, we think one of the men
was hurt," Eaton explained.

"No, sir. I'd noticed if they did that."

"Then did they put it into the radiator--here in front where motorists
use water?"

Dibley stared. "No, sir; I didn't think of it then, but they didn't.
They didn't put it into the car. They took it in their bucket with
them. It was one of those folding buckets motor people have."

Eaton gazed at the man. "Only three, you are sure!" he repeated. "And
none of them seemed to be hurt!"

"No, sir."

"Then they went off in the other direction from the bridge?"

"Yes, sir. I didn't notice the bridge burning till after they went.
So I came down here."

Eaton let the man go. Dibley looked again at the girl and moved away a
little. She turned to Eaton.

"What does that mean?" she called to him. "How many should there have
been in the machine? What did they want with the water?"

"Six!" Eaton told her. "There should have been six in the machine, and
one, at least, badly hurt!"

Dibley stood dully apart, staring at one and then at the other and next
to the flaming bridge. He looked down the road. "There's another car
coming," he announced. "Two cars!"

The double glare from the headlights of a motor shone through the
tree-trunks as the car topped and came swiftly down a rise three
quarters of a mile away and around the last turn back on the road;
another pair of blinding lights followed. There was no doubt that this
must be the pursuit from Santoine's house. Eaton stood beside Harriet,
who had stayed in the driving-seat of the car.

"You know Dibley well, Harriet?" he asked.

"He's worked on our place. He's dependable," she answered.

Eaton put his hand over hers which still clung to the driving wh