that something was moving beside me. and then, before I could think, the Alsatian was licking my hand.
At once I turned, to make my way back to the car, but the dog did not turn with me, and when I put my hand on his collar he would not move. When I spoke to him he took no notice, except that he moved his tail, and when I sought to urge him he stood like a rock.
I leaned against the bank and smothered an oath.
I had not begun my patrol; the Rolls was out in the open; and Sabre refused to move. If he would not come ...
I perceived that the first thing to do was to get the Rolls off the road. If Rush and Bugle were out—
Far in the distance I heard the drone of a car.
For an instant I stood spellbound. Then I was out in the road and was whipping back to the Rolls ...
Before I started the engine I listened again, to hear on the road behind me the footfalls of somebody running, but lightly shod. Then—
"In you go, Sabre," said Helena, opening a door.
As the dog leaped in, she took the seat by my side.
"A hundred yards on." she panted. "As quick as you can. There's a track on the right. I'll show you."
There was no time to argue. The drone of the car was louder— some car on the road ahead. If this was straight, and the driver was using his headlights ...
As I left the road for the track, the drone of the car approaching turned into a snarl.
As the Rolls gathered speed—
"Now," said Helena, "steady!" I set a foot on the brake. "Put on your lights for an instant... There you are!"
I stopped the engine and flung myself out of the Rolls.
"Stay here," I cried, and darted back to the bushes that were edging the side of the road.
The car was close now and her headlights were on; but even as she passed me her driver lowered his lights and slackened his speed.
Feverishly I watched his tail-light. This seemed to be moving more slowly; and the engine sounded as though it were slowing down.
I started to run down the road with Sabre loping beside me, two inches away from my knee ...
The car stopped now, quite close to the entrance drive; I could hear that her engine was running, but I could see no movement against the glow of her lights.
Cautiously I made my way forward.
I WAS almost abreast of the tail-light when Bugle spoke.
"Two 'undred miles a day was what he said. And he took the speedometer reading before he went."
" 'E would," said Rush warmly.
" 'Cause he ain't no fool," said Bugle. "He's seen your shape before."
"Now look 'ere, Bugle," said Rush. "I'll work the — night through, if I'm doin' good. But we ain't goin' to find little Arthur by rakin' these — roads."
"Who's rakin' roads?" said Bugle. "Pharaoh says 'Watch that castle,' an' Pharaoh's right. That — livery's known. An' once he's found the lady, he'll find her good."
"Gimme the pumps," said Rush. "He's got to take in petrol, and 'ow many Rolls d'you see?"
"Pumps," said Bugle contemptuously. "An' when Pharaoh asks if we've got him, what do we say? 'Well, we ain't exactly got him, but ere's a list o' the petrol pumps he's used.' " He let out a bitter laugh. "You know, you'll buy it yet. Maybe you can open a door, but—"
"E's a nasty mind." said Rush. "That's Gawd's truth, an' you know it. Look at that voice. Off to Salzburg first-class, but no one else must let up. 'E's in some night-club now— you can lay to that. But we've got to work, we 'ave, combin' the — country, to pick up the squirt we missed."
" 'Ow far 'ave we done?" said Bugle. "Ninety-four," said Rush.
"Gawd 'elp," said Bugle. "An' he said two hundred a day."
"Well, we can't do both." said Rush. "If he said to watch the castle—"
"Figures is proof," said Bugle. "Anyways, young Arthur ain't here," and, with that, he let in his clutch,
I ran for the Rolls like a madman and, panting incoherence to Helena, started and backed the car on to the road. An instant later we were flying in pursuit of Bugle and Rush, but I dared not use my headlights, which threw a tremendous
At once I turned, to make my way back to the car, but the dog did not turn with me, and when I put my hand on his collar he would not move. When I spoke to him he took no notice, except that he moved his tail, and when I sought to urge him he stood like a rock.
I leaned against the bank and smothered an oath.
I had not begun my patrol; the Rolls was out in the open; and Sabre refused to move. If he would not come ...
I perceived that the first thing to do was to get the Rolls off the road. If Rush and Bugle were out—
Far in the distance I heard the drone of a car.
For an instant I stood spellbound. Then I was out in the road and was whipping back to the Rolls ...
Before I started the engine I listened again, to hear on the road behind me the footfalls of somebody running, but lightly shod. Then—
"In you go, Sabre," said Helena, opening a door.
As the dog leaped in, she took the seat by my side.
"A hundred yards on." she panted. "As quick as you can. There's a track on the right. I'll show you."
There was no time to argue. The drone of the car was louder— some car on the road ahead. If this was straight, and the driver was using his headlights ...
As I left the road for the track, the drone of the car approaching turned into a snarl.
As the Rolls gathered speed—
"Now," said Helena, "steady!" I set a foot on the brake. "Put on your lights for an instant... There you are!"
I stopped the engine and flung myself out of the Rolls.
"Stay here," I cried, and darted back to the bushes that were edging the side of the road.
The car was close now and her headlights were on; but even as she passed me her driver lowered his lights and slackened his speed.
Feverishly I watched his tail-light. This seemed to be moving more slowly; and the engine sounded as though it were slowing down.
I started to run down the road with Sabre loping beside me, two inches away from my knee ...
The car stopped now, quite close to the entrance drive; I could hear that her engine was running, but I could see no movement against the glow of her lights.
Cautiously I made my way forward.
I WAS almost abreast of the tail-light when Bugle spoke.
"Two 'undred miles a day was what he said. And he took the speedometer reading before he went."
" 'E would," said Rush warmly.
" 'Cause he ain't no fool," said Bugle. "He's seen your shape before."
"Now look 'ere, Bugle," said Rush. "I'll work the — night through, if I'm doin' good. But we ain't goin' to find little Arthur by rakin' these — roads."
"Who's rakin' roads?" said Bugle. "Pharaoh says 'Watch that castle,' an' Pharaoh's right. That — livery's known. An' once he's found the lady, he'll find her good."
"Gimme the pumps," said Rush. "He's got to take in petrol, and 'ow many Rolls d'you see?"
"Pumps," said Bugle contemptuously. "An' when Pharaoh asks if we've got him, what do we say? 'Well, we ain't exactly got him, but ere's a list o' the petrol pumps he's used.' " He let out a bitter laugh. "You know, you'll buy it yet. Maybe you can open a door, but—"
"E's a nasty mind." said Rush. "That's Gawd's truth, an' you know it. Look at that voice. Off to Salzburg first-class, but no one else must let up. 'E's in some night-club now— you can lay to that. But we've got to work, we 'ave, combin' the — country, to pick up the squirt we missed."
" 'Ow far 'ave we done?" said Bugle. "Ninety-four," said Rush.
"Gawd 'elp," said Bugle. "An' he said two hundred a day."
"Well, we can't do both." said Rush. "If he said to watch the castle—"
"Figures is proof," said Bugle. "Anyways, young Arthur ain't here," and, with that, he let in his clutch,
I ran for the Rolls like a madman and, panting incoherence to Helena, started and backed the car on to the road. An instant later we were flying in pursuit of Bugle and Rush, but I dared not use my headlights, which threw a tremendous
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