I manufactured it rather neatly, so that it looked like a loose page of a private letter.

“Take this down and say it was found in my bedroom, and ask them to return it to me if they overtake me.”

Three minutes later I heard the car begin to move, and peeping from behind the curtain caught sight of the two figures. One was slim, the other was sleek; that was the most I could make of my reconnaissance.

The innkeeper appeared in great excitement. “Your paper woke them up,” he said gleefully. “The dark fellow went as white as death and cursed like blazes, and the fat one whistled and looked ugly. They paid for their drinks with half-a-sovereign and wouldn’t wait for change.”