back to
town, but we will endeavour to make the journey as comfortable as
possible for you. In any event, the horses will certainly not travel so
fast."

In the roadway they found the carriages where they had left them, whilst
three wondering _cocchieri_ were exchanging opinions as to the mad
behaviour of the foreigners.

Brett and the Frenchman entered one vehicle, Talbot and the Italian
pilot the other.

"But, gentlemen," moaned the disconsolate cabman who had headed the
procession from Palermo, "who will pay me for my dead horse?"

"I know not," replied Brett. "In any event you had better occupy the
vacant seat and drive those two gentlemen to the city, where you can
secure the means of bringing back your carriage."

In this guise the party returned to Palermo, evoking much wonderment all
the way through the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, whence no less than six
outraged policemen followed them to the Hotel de France to obtain their
names and addresses.

CHAPTER XXII

PIECING THE PUZZLE

Palermo was in a perfect ferment. Not since the last revolution had
people seen such a pitched battle in the streets, for Macpherson and his
myrmidons had used no gentle means to pacify Gros Jean and the Turks,
whilst the crew of the _Belles Soeurs_ would not be in a fit state to
go to sea for many days.

An excited mob of people surrounded the hotel when Brett and Talbot
arrived with their wounded prisoner. Fortunately the Chief of Police
came in person to ascertain the cause of all this turmoil. The first
alarmist report that reached his ears made out that a species of
international warfare had broken out in the harbour.

He told his subordinates to clear away the crowd, and explanations by
Brett and Winter soon demonstrated the wisdom of an official
_communique_ to the Press that the row on the pier was merely the
outcome of a quarrel between some intoxicated sailors.

The Chief of the Police politely offered to place detectives at the
disposal of the Englishmen for the proper custody of their captive.
Brett thanked him, but declined the proffered assistance, having decided
to warn Winter not to interfere.

"The only prisoner of interest," he explained, "received such severe
injuries during a struggle which he brought on himself that he will be
quite unable to be moved for several days. His right arm is broken, and
his face has been reduced to a pulp. There is a stout Frenchman named
Beaucaire and three Turks w