“Thunder!” he roared, discharging one of his revolvers for no reason and smashing a window-pane.

There was no one in the car.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“THE SNARE IS LAID.  BEWARE, LUPIN!”

The power that had impelled Don Luis to battle and victory was so intense that it suffered, so to speak, no cheek.  Disappointment, rage, humiliation, torture, were all swallowed up in an immediate desire for action and information, together with a longing to continue the chase.  The rest was but an incident of no importance, which would soon be very simply explained.

The petrified taxi-driver was gazing wildly at the peasants coming from the distant farms, attracted by the sound of the aeroplane.  Don Luis took him by the throat and put the barrel of his revolver to the man’s temple: 

“Tell me what you know—­or you’re a dead man.”

And when the unhappy wretch began to stammer out entreaties: 

“It’s no use moaning, no use hoping for assistance....  Those people won’t get here in time.  So there’s only one way of saving yourself:  speak!  Last night a gentleman came to Versailles from Paris in a taxi, left it and took yours:  is that it?”

“Yes.”

“The gentleman had a lady with him?”

“Yes.”

“And he engaged you to take him to Nantes?”

“Yes.”

“But he changed his mind on the way and told you to put him down?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Before we got to Mans, in a little road on the right, with a sort of coach-house, looking like a shed, a hundred yards down it.  They both got out there.”

“And you went on?”

“He paid me to.”

“How much?”

“Five hundred francs.  And there was another fare waiting at Nantes that I was to pick up and bring back to Paris for a thousand francs more.”

“Do you believe in that other fare?”

“No.  I think he wanted to put people off the scent by sending them after me to Nantes while he branched off.  Still, I had my money.”

“And, when you left them, weren’t you curious to see what happened?”

“No.”

“Take care!  A movement of my finger and I blow out your brains.  Speak!”

“Well, yes, then.  I went back on foot, behind a bank covered with trees.  The man had opened the coach-house and was starting a small limousine car.  The lady did not want to get in.  They argued pretty fiercely.  He threatened and begged by turns.  But I could not hear what they said.  She seemed very tired.  He gave her a glass of water, which he drew from a tap in the wall.  Then she consented.  He closed the door on her and took his seat at the wheel.”

“A glass of water!” cried Don Luis.  “Are you sure he put nothing else into the glass?”

The driver seemed surprised at the question and then answered: