"Greetings from Sultan Selim, Air King of the Hamadian Desert. I regret to inform you that of late there has been a serious increase of aerial crime in these regions. The frequent passing of large airships containing mails and other commodities, without due payment of tribute to my customs officials, is a serious infringement of the laws of my dominion. This action not only imperils the liberties of small communities, but is also a crafty form of aerial brigandage, inasmuch as it defrauds my exchequer of its just and equitable revenue. This practice must cease forthwith, and I have taken steps to-day which, in my opinion, will render it unwise for this shameful trespass to continue. The bearer of this letter will give you further details of the action which I have been compelled to take on behalf of my subjects. Your five missing scouts will be found between the wells of Nefud and the Hedjaz coast. I have destroyed their machines as a salutary warning to future violaters of these my dominions." Keane could scarcely restrain a smile when he laid down this wily, half-humorous, half-threatening epistolary from the aerial pirate. "What do you think of it?" asked the colonel. "It’s a topping letter, sir, but I think he’s trying hard to be funny, this von Spitzer, as you call him. A German with a sense of humour, sir, that’s the best way to regard him," replied the airman. "Humour indeed!" rasped out the colonel, becoming ruffled. "It’s confounded impudence, and worse, when you remember that, apart from the damage to the airship, which is considerable, there is a net loss of specie and other valuables--to wit, the Maharajah’s jewels--which is estimated at a quarter of a million sterling. I only hope and pray that we may encounter and waylay this bandit before he does any more damage. The deuce only knows what he’ll do next, or where he’ll go." "Ireland is to be the scene of his next adventure, sir," remarked Keane. "Ireland?" "Yes, sir." "Are you sure?" "I heard the professor say so. They are to work hand in hand with the revolutionists there, and stir up strife which will make that unhappy land a still greater thorn in the side of Great Britain." "Just what I feared!" exclaimed the now irate commissioner. "That explains partly those mysterious messages and rumours floating about Dingle Bay, and unfortunately I have had to withdraw nearly all the aerial police from that quarter to send them out east." "You might as well recall them, sir." "Why?" "The raider has left the Hamadian Desert by this time, and is in hiding somewhere, but will call here on his way to Ireland." "H’m! We’re being thoroughly fooled, and if you hadn’t found this demon’s nest I should have gone mad. At any rate I should have been compelled to resign my post."