The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09


 | the little town drew about them, like an Inverness cape. and they stopped in front of the county constabulary station
 Presently Inspector Henderson came out looking considerably disturbed in mind.
 Fox and Frost are two foolsw he said, tearing the message he had re- ceived into very small pieces. They think that coming here is only blind, and that the cars have turned and gone back by night along the hard Ayr road. No one here has seen them They ! will wire if anything is foundi There is no news. Nothing for 1t but to sit anu suck ones thumbs, till we hear something
 T beg your pardon. Inspector" said Phil. but I think we should go on. Isrhat no one has seen them proves noth- ing, for the Dalmellington folk are good sleepers."
 "Eh?" cried the detective whats that? Have you got an idea? Out , with it. I never yet knew anybody's idea that wasn't, at least, worth con- sidering. And yours. young man, seem to be of a superior order"
 T don't believe they turned back At all." said Phil: If theys had, they would both have got into the big Mer cedes. No they have gone on. know these north Galloway roads what isn't hard pebble and sand is rut and mud. We shall pick up their tracks before we have gone five miles,"
 The automobile sped on. me chauf- feur had renewed his stock of fuel at Dalmellington, and soon the lohg vel ley of tn Doon was laid out smoothly behind them, the landscape passing right and left over their shoulders as the sea is divided before the rush of fast destroyer. There was a sing ing of wind in their ears when they reach ed the summit and the car launched itself downwards towards the Ken.
 Till now they had seen no traces of the fugitives, and Inspector Hender- son began to be restless. few min utes more and he would have given the order to turn back. But at that mo- ment Phil pointed out somtehing which cut in long curves into the soft turf of the moorside.
 There they arer he cried, "one car, at least, and badly driven"
 They stopped and got out. Grinding recognized in a moment the diamond criss- crossings of the tires of the small CT car--that in which James Kahn had escaped. But of the other there was no sign on the well-crowned. hard surfaced road. The tires of the Mer- cedes would have left parallel ridges, and been easily distinguishable from the other. Here, however, not pebble was lifted. Nothing gave evidence or anything uncommon except those occa- sional curves cut in the smooth turf of the wayside.
 'It looks a if he had been hard pressed. by something or some one,' pondered the inspector. Perhaps, af- ter all Fox and Frost have been work ing on tn cir own" He spoke the last phrase with some bitterness. Work ing on their own" meant in the force flor their own honor and glory h. spector Henderson held it to be the blight and bane of all good police work the sin unpardonable.
 They passed through Carpsh airn. Yes, they were on the track. They sang the long-resounding song of speed Gone single rising note), long sustained and good to hear, down the green valley, and by the rippling waterside. They turned sharp down the steep hill 10 the Kirk of St. John. And again, af- ter a brief inspection of the ground thes swung as sharply to the right at the bank of gray granite which guards the entrance to the Royal Borough of New Galloway.
 In the early morning two cars had pa ssed. Yes it had been remarked first because few cars have only one man in each, and still fewer take the mountain road to Newton Stewart across the eighteen miles of terrible surface and between moors so wide and desolate that only the little way side house of Clatteringshaws is pass ed before reaching the wooded vale and the sea-edge by Palnure.
 We have them now" said the in- spector, with comfort in his tone. And they left the little borough village be- hind them, came out upon a magnifi- cent glimpse of the distant Loch of Ken, and so bore away into the soli- tudes.
 But it was no good place for any car, new or old-and long before something in the steering gear snapp- ed and the chauffeur stopped at the bottom of the long hill, before Ruth erford's Monument" 1t became evident that Gas the driver sald) "she was will ing to stand up to anything in reason. but this stoneshute was fairly break ing her heart"
 Then almost they had given up hope. But Phil, arguing that what was bad for light machine like theirs must tell much worse on cars so weighed with machinery that they would sink at the axle, called out that at any rate he was going on.
 They can't be far aheadi" he fn- sisted.
 I'm with youp said Grinding. mot that I'll be able to keep up. I am car rying too much ballast, my boy, these last yearsi"
 The inspector wavered a moment. de- manding from the chauffeur Cor rather from his legs, for the speaking part of him was far under his carl how long it would take to repair the dam age.
 Tt depends on what they can do at Dumfries," said the man testify. q told you what it would be, breaking her heart over this rattle-trap free l toon" Now, nobody but Penman can put this right and for him you must go to Dumfries"
 The inspector joined them, leaving the disgusted driver in charge of the l damaged car, privately resolving to l put on the ex's"- which Incubus would have to pay--Incubus or another, he did not care who-so long as somebody suf- i fered.
 l The three men hurried forward They | gained the top of the opposite hill. For | at Rutherford's monument the road l corlxscrews up and down in a big cap- | ital s. No one was to be seen.I how ever-only in the distance Phil spied a tiny yellow streak on the morass It i was, at least, a mile away. | All else about them was empty with 1 the wide moorland stiffness which goes from the Cairnsmuir to the Loch 1 of the Lilies, from the Back Shore to the tresses of Little Queensbury. They went forward at run. Two tracks were now perfectly apparent-the heavier Mercedes blaming directly for ward like an eagle in flight, the lighter l yellow having of bap J