When Seymour Merriman stopped at the side of the road twenty-six miles outside Bordeaux, little did he know how his life was about to change. The events that followed would take him through an adventure wrought with mystery, smuggling, murder and love. As this classic tale unfolds, it follows two amateurs in their attempt to unlock the mystery of changing number plates, and all else that surrounds the pit prop syndicate, before the case is handed over to Inspector Willis of Scotland Yard, who through thorough chasing of clues, finally manages to unravel the scheme.