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[Illustration: HE HAD INSISTED UPON THE TWO WOMEN DANCING FOR HIS
AMUSEMENT]




THE

MOTOR PIRATE

By

G. Sidney Paternoster


With a Frontispiece by Charles R. Sykes


          New York * * * * *
          A. Wessels Company
          * * * * * *  MCMVI




            _Copyright, 1904_
          BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
             (INCORPORATED)

       *       *       *       *       *

          _All rights reserved_




CONTENTS

  CHAPTER                                                      PAGE
      I. MAINLY ABOUT MYSELF                                      1
     II. THE COMPTON CHAMBERLAIN OUTRAGE                          9
    III. WHEREIN I MEET THE PIRATE                               21
     IV. CONCERNING MY RIVAL                                     36
      V. THE COLONEL DREAMS AND I AWAKEN                         48
     VI. I AM ARRESTED                                           59
    VII. I MAKE FRIENDS WITH INSPECTOR FORREST, C.I.D            71
   VIII. MURDER                                                  81
     IX. EXPLAINS A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE                     92
      X. DESCRIBING A RIDE WITH THE PIRATE                      104
     XI. IN WHICH THE PIRATE HOLDS UP THE BRIGHTON MAIL         113
    XII. HOW WE EXCHANGE SHOTS WITH THE PIRATE                  123
   XIII. OF THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING WOUNDED                     135
    XIV. A CLOUD APPEARS ON LOVE'S HORIZON                      145
     XV. A CLUE AT LAST                                         155
    XVI. I COMMIT A BURGLARY                                    165
   XVII. STORM                                                  176
  XVIII. IN WHICH THE PIRATE APPEARS IN A FROLICSOME HUMOUR     187
    XIX. A HOT SCENT                                            196
     XX. RELATES HOW THE PIRATE HOLDS UP AN AUGUST PERSONAGE    207
    XXI. WE PLAN AN AMBUSH                                      218
   XXII. GONE AWAY                                              228
  XXIII. SAVED                                                  240
   XXIV. REVELATIONS                                            249




THE MOTOR PIRATE




CHAPTER I

MAINLY ABOUT MYSELF


OF course every one has heard of the Motor Pirate. No one indeed could
help doing so unless he or she, as the case may be, happened to be in
some part of the world where newspapers never penetrate; since for
months his doings were the theme of every gossip in the country, and his
exploits have filled columns of every newspaper from the moment of his
first appearance until the day when the reign of terror he had
inaugurated upon the roads ended as suddenly and as sensationally as it
had begun. Who the owner of the pirate car was? Whence he came? Whither
he went? These are questions which have exercised minds innumerable; but
though there have been nearly as many theories propounded as there were
brains at work propounding them, so far no informed account of the man
or his methods has been made public.

Nearly twelve months have now elapsed since he was last heard of, and
already a number of myths have grown up about his mysterious
personality. For instance, it is not true, as I saw asserted in a
sensational evening paper the other day, that the Motor Pirate was in
the habit of abducting every young and attractive woman who happened to
be travelling in any of the cars he held up. On only one occasion did he
abduct a lady, and in that case there were special circumstances with
which the public have never been made acquainted. His deeds were quite
black enough without further blackening with printer's ink, and it would
be a pity if the real Motor Pirate were lost sight of in mythical haze
such as has gathered about the name of his great prototype, Dick Turpin.

It has occurred to me, therefore, to tell the story of his doings--it
would be impossible for any mortal man to give an absolutely detailed
account of his life and actions--but I know more than the majority of
people about the personality of the man. Of one thing my readers may be
assured: I personally can vouch for the accuracy of every fact which I
chronicle. You see I am not a professional historian.

How it happened that I am in a position to give hitherto unknown
particulars about the Motor Pirate will appear in the course of my
narrative. S