The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18

rate. When the houses became scattered, the road left the outline of the shore, made detour round some sand dunes about a mile from Staveley, and then stretched like white ribbon along the cliffs between the downs and the sea- to the distant village of Ashlingsea. The road justified Sir Georges description as fairly good, but there were places where it was very narrow, the width being scarcely sufficient to allow one vehicle to pass another. On the side where the road joined the downs there was ditch, and in some places the water had collected and formed a pool
 "What is this?" exclaimed Sir George, as he pointed to an object at the side of the road some distance away.
 The object was g omtorcar, which had struck the ditch and overturned. Part of the car was lying on the downs. One of the front wheels had been wrenched out of position. To Crewes surprise the chauffeur drove past without more than sidelong glance at the wreck.
 "Stopv' said Crewe. eve must have look at this.'
 "Yes, we may as well have a look at it, said Sir George, as the car stopped. But 1t is only on of Gosford's old cars. He has garage at Staveley and has three or four old cars which he les ou on hire. They are always coming to grief. Quite common thing to find them stack up and refusing to budge. The occupants have to get out and walk"
 Crewe got out of the car to inspect the wreck, but Sir George did not follow him. Yoo oot in the car. With some impatience he watcher Crewe, as the detective examined the car first on one side and then on the other. Crewe wenk back along the road for about forty yards and examined the track the wheels had made in running off the road and striking the ditch. Then he stood back few yards, and going down on his knees, examined the grass. He put his shoulder underneath the upturned side of the car to judge the weight of the vehicle.
 'T believe we could turn it over," he called out to Sir George. "It is not very heavy"
 "Get out Harris, and see what you can do," said Sir George.
 He sat and watched Crewe and Harris exerting their strength to lift the car They were not successful in moving it.
 "Do you mind,. Sir George?" said Crewe persuasively.
 Sir George did mind, but convention de- manded that he should pretend to his guest that he did not.
 "Gosford won't thank us,' was the length of the protest he offered. 'We may give the thing a bump that will bring it to pieces.
 'I do not want to shove it right over," ex- plained Crewe. "If we can get it on it's side so that I can have look it its inside I will be satisfied.'
 Sir Georges contribution to the task turned the scale. Slowly the car was raised until it rested on it's right side. Crewe bent down and inspected the inside of the car and the drivers seat.
 Thanks" he said "I've got all I want"
 "And what is that you wanted?" de- manded Sir George, in astonishment
 Several things" said Crewe. q wanted to get an idea of when the accident took place."
 How on earth could you expect to tell that?" asked Sir George.
 By the state of the car-outside and in- side. The way the mud is splashed on the outside indicates that the car was out in last nights storm. The wet state of the cush- ions inside showed that rain had fallen on them--they must have got wet before the car capsized."
 Extremely interesting said Sir George, "Td never have thought of these things. Perhaps you can tell how many people were