e--and also a receipt which he put in his pocket. Then Jim
appeared, an inconspicuous looking man, wriggling into a driving coat
that had seen better days, the Ford was taken from its den, the tyres
examined, and the petrol tank filled.

"Haven't you an overcoat?" asked the proprietor. "It'll be chilly after
sundown."

"No," said Jones. "I came down without one, the weather was so fine--It
won't hurt."

"Better have a coat," said the proprietor. "I'll lend you one. Jim will
fetch it back." He went off, and returned with a heavy coat on his arm.

"That's good of you," said Jones. "Thanks--I'll put it on now to save
trouble." Then a bright idea struck him. "What I'm afraid of most is my
eyes, the wind tries them. Have you any goggles?"

"I believe there's an old pair in the office," said the proprietor,
"hold on a minute." He went off and returned with the goggles. Jones
thanked him, put them on, and got into the car.

"Pleasant journey to you," said the proprietor.

Then they started.

They turned up the street and along the road by which Jones had come.
Then they struck into the road where the "Lucknows" and "Cawnpores"
hinted of old Indian Colonels.

They passed the gates of the Hoover establishment. It was open, and an
attendant was gazing up and down the street. He looked at the car but he
did not recognize the occupant, then several more residential roads were
left behind, a highly respectable cemetery, a tin chapel, and the car,
taking a hill as Fords know how, dropped Sandbourne-on-Sea to
invisibility and surrounded itself with vast stretches of green and sun
warmed country, June scented, and hazy with the warmth of summer.

They passed hop gardens and hamlets, broad meadows and grazing cattle,
bosky woods and park lands.

Jones, though he had taken the goggles off, saw little of the beauty
around him. He was recognising facts, and asking questions of himself.

If Hoover or the police were to call at the garage, what would happen?
Knowing the route of the car could they telegraph to towns on the way
and have him arrested? How did the English law stand as regards escaped
gentlemen with hallucinations? Could they be arrested like criminals?
Surely not--and yet as regards the law, who could be sure of anything?
Jim, the speechless driver, could tell him nothing on these points.

Towards dusk they reached a fairly big town, and in the very centre of
the main street, Jim stopped the car to light the head