The pressman looked even more perplexed.

“You are Professor Challenger, are you not?” he asked.

“Yes, sir; that is my name.”

“I cannot understand, then, how you can say that there is no such danger.  I am alluding to your own letter, published above your name in the London Times of this morning.”

It was Challenger’s turn to look surprised.

“This morning?” said he.  “No London Times was published this morning.”

“Surely, sir,” said the American in mild remonstrance, “you must admit that the London Times is a daily paper.”  He drew out a copy from his inside pocket.  “Here is the letter to which I refer.”

Challenger chuckled and rubbed his hands.

“I begin to understand,” said he.  “So you read this letter this morning?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And came at once to interview me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you observe anything unusual upon the journey down?”

“Well, to tell the truth, your people seemed more lively and generally human than I have ever seen them.  The baggage man set out to tell me a funny story, and that’s a new experience for me in this country.”

“Nothing else?”

“Why, no, sir, not that I can recall.”

“Well, now, what hour did you leave Victoria?”

The American smiled.

“I came here to interview you, Professor, but it seems to be a case of `Is this nigger fishing, or is this fish niggering?’ You’re doing most of the work.”

“It happens to interest me.  Do you recall the hour?”

“Sure.  It was half-past twelve.”

“And you arrived?”

“At a quarter-past two.”

“And you hired a cab?”

“That was so.”

“How far do you suppose it is to the station?”

“Well, I should reckon the best part of two miles.”

“So how long do you think it took you?”

“Well, half an hour, maybe, with that asthmatic in front.”

“So it should be three o’clock?”

“Yes, or a trifle after it.”

“Look at your watch.”

The American did so and then stared at us in astonishment.

“Say!” he cried.  “It’s run down.  That horse has broken every record, sure.  The sun is pretty low, now that I come to look at it.  Well, there’s something here I don’t understand.”

“Have you no remembrance of anything remarkable as you came up the hill?”

“Well, I seem to recollect that I was mighty sleepy once.  It comes back to me that I wanted to say something to the driver and that I couldn’t make him heed me.  I guess it was the heat, but I felt swimmy for a moment.  That’s all.”