t of time
when I ought to have been on the way. Here's the position of affairs.
Flora, you're going to drive me to London."

"Right," said Flora with sparkling eyes.

"Jane! Still got that old service revolver I gave you?"

"Um."

"Keep it handy. Likely enough there'll be a couple of visitors here
before long and you've got to detain 'em somehow."

"I'll keep 'em till they grow roots," said Jane stoutly.

"It's a damn shame, dragging you into all this, but that bullet did me
in as a driver. It's no joke shoving a motor bike along with a bullet
through your hand."

"But how did you get the wound, dear?"

As hurriedly as possible he outlined the day's happenings from the
moment of landing at Polperro.

"Who are these men?" Flora demanded.

"Couple of spies belonging to a crowd that tried to prevent me leaving
London three weeks ago."

"But what do they want?"

Anthony held up the morocco letter case and restored it to his pocket.

"Just this. I've given 'em a pretty good lead all day--played hare and
hounds all over Dartmoor best part of the morning but somehow I don't
believe I've shaken 'em off."

"Where did you leave the bike?"

"Couple of miles back on the main road. Shoved her in a thicket.
Front tyre burst and that settled it. There's a bare hope they may
have been kidded into believing I'd gone straight on but it's slender
enough. Comberstone knows I have a home hereabouts and they're pretty
certain to have watched my tracks on the road. Mother's old bus is
going well you say?"

"I can whack her up to about a thirty average," said Flora.

"Thirty, and we've a hundred and fifty to go. Yes, yes--ought to be in
Town by eleven."

"Easy."

"Then I'll just swallow a snack of grub and push off straight away.
Get your engine started."

"There's a lovely pie in the larder, dear," said Mrs. Barraclough.
"Just the sort you like best. Jane! My motor cloak and bonnet."

She took Anthony's hand and they hurried kitchenward together.

Flora and Jane looked at one another, their eyes adance with excitement.

"Oh, isn't this gorgeous," said Jane.

"Simply topping," echoed Flora.

"You lucky beast to be going up with him."

"I like that, when you've got a shooting programme."

"Oh, well, I suppose the honours are divided. Good luck."

"Same to you."

They parted with a wave of the hand, Jane following her mistress and
Flora into the garden at a run. But she had scarcely reached th