as well as foreign ones, were keeping keen watch over all the
roads and rivers, all the lakes and the coasts of America. Of course,
the size of the country made any close supervision impossible; but
these twin inventors had not before chosen secluded and unfrequented
spots in which to appear. The main highway of Wisconsin on a great
race day, the harbor of Boston, incessantly crossed by thousands of
boats, these were hardly what would be called hiding-places! If the
daring driver had not perished of which there was always strong
probability; then he must have left America. Perhaps he was in the
waters of the Old World, or else resting in some retreat known only
to himself, and in that case--

"Ah!" I repeated to myself, many times, "for such a retreat, as
secret as inaccessible, this fantastic personage could not find one
better than the Great Eyrie!" But, of course, a boat could not get
there, any more than an automobile. Only high-flying birds of prey,
eagles or condors, could find refuge there.

The nineteenth of June I was going to the police bureau, when, on
leaving my house, I noticed two men who looked at me with a certain
keenness. Not knowing them, I took no notice; and if my attention was
drawn to the matter, it was because my servant spoke of it when I
returned.

For some days, she said, she had noticed that two men seemed to be
spying upon me in the street. They stood constantly, perhaps a
hundred steps from my house; and she suspected that they followed me
each time I went up the street.

"You are sure?" I asked.

"Yes, sir and no longer ago than yesterday, when you came into the
house, these men came slipping along in your footsteps, and then went
away as soon as the door was shut behind you."

"You must be mistaken?"

"I am not, sir."

"And if you met these two men, you would know them?"

"I would."

"Good;" I cried, laughing, "I see you have the very spirit for a
detective. I must engage you as a member of our force."

"Joke if you like, sir. But I have still two good eyes, and I don't
need spectacles to recognize people. Someone is spying on you, that's
certain; and you should put some of your men to track them in turn."

"All right; I promise to do so," I said, to satisfy her. "And when my
men get after them, we shall soon know what these mysterious fellows
want of me."

In truth I did not take the good soul's excited announcement very
seriously. I added, however, "When I go out, I wi