Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21


they were so close to Jordison's car that they
could hear the kissing of the wheels and the
sound of voices. second later the white strip
OF road vanished as suddenly as though t had
9een plotted OIL the map, and veil of darkness
descended over the whole scene
Nothing was visible but the fan of yellow light
that swept on before them. But they could rtill
near the sound of wheels on the soft road It
would, however, be impossible to tell whether
Jordison had taken the right or left turning un-
I'll they had shot well past the sign-post. And
wrcng turning at this point would mean the
loss OF at least mile in the chase
LORD Harry Guy peered ahead but could see
nothlng. Their own lamps illuminated the road
Tor nearly fifty yards in front Of them, but be-
yond that all was darkness
or left?' '"' -'sN'
For answer Holme took coin from his pocket
and held 1T between his open palms.
Heads right, tails left" he said
very well" Lord Harry replied; cit is Just
as good way as any other" Holme exposed
the coin, and held it down to one of the side
lamps
Heads" he said, and replaced the coin in his
pocket.
Lord Harry took the car to the right of the
road and few seconds later the white siRn.post
flashed up like ghost on their left and van
ished
1t was anxious moment Both men listened
attentlvely. Then Lord Harry burst out with a
lhank God. The faint noise in front of them
continued. Fortune had been with them in this
one thing, at any rate.
we shall overtake it now," said Lord Harry;
there is not another break in the road for ten
miles, and then he dare not take it. He would
have to slow down to take right-anrle turn.
For thirty miles he will have to 90 straight
ahead on the north road"
And what do we do when we overtake it?"
asked Holme
I'VE go alongside and talk"
I'm afraid Jordison won't waste words on
us, ne said dryly, "and don't think that it
would be advisable to get too close to him. We
had better hang on his heels till daylight and
give the alarm. The news will be all over Eng
land in an hour and he cannot possibly escape
You are probably right" Lord Harry an
answered. but | intend to have go at him
myself l wish to meet the gentleman"
"Few that have met him wish to do 80 again.
Home replied and the two men relapsed into
silence.
The two cars tore on through the night The
hedge-rows ran past in streaming lines of brown,
and the road spun toward them like a strip of
paper from tape-machne. Jordison relit his
lamps and the glow of them ran before the pur-
suers like a cloud of fire.
Up gentle slopes and down long gradients and
over wide stretches of level ground they rushed
at the same headlong speed Sleeping villages
burst into sight and vanished like scenes that
a
ming, And inch by inch the grey car crept up
to the object of its pursuit, till at last black
mass of metal crept out of the darkness into the
edge of the broad fan of light that streamed from
the Bleriot lamps.
Its long road" said Lord Harry Ouv "but
the end of it is in sight"
Farther and still farther the black car crent
into the light. The two young men could now
see the backs of the occupants. A tall man had
his hands on the steering-gear, and small squat
figure looked back at them. They could see his
face, white in the glare of the lamps coarse feat
ured, and evil.
"Iipp," said Holme, as though in answer to a
silent query on the part of his companion:
we've tough couple to deal with, Guy. l wish
/ had my revolver. It's the devils own luck
that left it in Up Withing, when we went off
in such a hurry"
wouldn't care to have my throat in your fin
gers"
Holme smiled. Lord Harry had not been in
the clutches of William Jordison.
Then suddenly the squat figure turned right
round and flung his arm over the back of the
car. A second later there was fash and re-
port, and bullet sang past Lord Harry's ear.
Holme watched Lipp refill his revolver and
take careful aim over the back of the car and he
noticed that the barrel of the revolver pointed
downward. Then there came four flashes, one
after another, quick as man can count Two
struck tne ROAD, one MT tne huD OF Che rght-hand
wheel, and the fourth found its mark. It struck
the tire with dull thud and hiss of air
The car sank slowly and wrenched the
wheel out of Lord Harry's hand. The next in
slant the tire was ripped off the wheel like a
piece of paper The great car swerved to the
right, and ton of metal came full tilt into a
tree.
Holme was flung from his seat in crumpled
ball and shot like bullet into the hedge Lord
Harry Guy still strapped to his seat, was crush
ed against the tree like fly on wall In
second of time he had traversed longer road
than any marked the map of England, and
had found the end of it.