he two mechanics were watching me....

With the tail of my eye I saw Berry glance behind him, sink down upon
the step, drop his head miserably into the crook of his arm, and set
that arm upon the spare wheels.

Suddenly I straightened my back, glanced past the two warders, and
flung out a pointing arm.

"_Look!_" I shouted, and stepped on to the running-board.

As I spoke, Adele let in the clutch....

It was really too easy.

By the time our two friends had decided to turn and inquire what had
excited my remark, we were ten paces away and gathering speed...

Of course they ran after us, yelling like men possessed.

That was but human.

Then they recovered their wits and raced for their car.

I cried to Berry to sit tight, and opened the door....

"Is he on?" said Adele, as I took my seat by her side.

I nodded.

"As soon as we're far enough on, we must take him inside. He ought to
be safe enough, but I'll bet he's blessing his petticoats. As for you,
sweetheart, I don't know which is the finer--your nerve or your wit."

A cool hand stole into mine.

Then--

"But we're not there yet," said Adele.

This was unhappily true.

Pong was the faster car, and Adele was already going the deuce of a
pace. But there was traffic to come, and two level crossings lay
between us and Lourdes.

I turned and looked out of the glass in the back of the hood. The
English Rose had thrust herself inelegantly on to the petrol tank. Her
right foot was jammed against a wing, so that her shapely leg acted as
a brace: her arms clasped the two spare wheels convulsively: her head
was thrown back, and her lips were moving.... Of our pursuers there
was no sign. That moment we had rounded a bend, but when a moment
later we rounded another they were still out of sight.

I began to wonder whether it was safe to stop and take Berry inboard....

Then the Klaxon belched, and a cry from Adele made me turn.

Two hundred yards ahead was a flock of sheep--all over the road.

We had to slow down to a pace which jabbed at my nerves.

I did not know what to do.

I did not know whether to seize the chance and take Berry inside, or
whether to put the obstacle between Pong and the terror behind, and I
felt I must look at the sheep.

The speedometer dropped to twenty ... to fifteen ... to ten....

Then the tires tore at the road, and we practically stopped.

Adele changed into second speed.

I opened the door instantly, only