Adventure stories; Imaginary places -- Fiction; Kings and rulers -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction; Love stories
Tony nodded. "One can always depend upon Guy," he said. "But how
about the car? What are you going to do with that?"
"Scrap it," replied Jimmy. "Leave it on the quay. It doesn't belong
to me you know, it belongs to the garage. I've got all my earthly
possessions in my pocket."
"Right away then," said Tony, "and don't stop for anything." He
turned to Isabel. "You won't be frightened if we have to run over a
few policemen," he said. "It's just possible they may be on the
lookout for us."
Isabel shook her head. "I don't mind," she said firmly. "Not in the
least."
"Well, look out for squalls," remarked Jimmy cheerfully. "It's neck
or nothing now."
He pulled his Homburg hat on tighter and started off again down the
road, which stretched out ahead of them bare and dusty in the blazing
midday sunshine.
Peaceful as Braxa had seemed when they had passed through it earlier
in the morning, it was at this hour even more deserted than before.
The heat of the sun seemed to have driven such people as were about
into the shelter of the wine shops, and except for a few
unhappy-looking dogs, rummaging amongst the garbage, a deep,
languorous tranquillity brooded over everything.
They raced up the main street at a pace which sent the dust flying in
clouds on either side of them; and without sounding their horn or
otherwise announcing their approach, they swept round the corner into
the big open space where they had had their previous encounter with
the policeman. They were half-way across, and were heading straight
for the track that led down on to the beach, when the drowsy silence
of the square was suddenly disturbed by a hoarse shout on the left.
Tony glanced round in the direction of the sound, and was rewarded by
the sight of two uniformed figures hurrying out from the shadow of
the trees, and running and stumbling towards them with loud and
peremptory cries.
"You're too late," he observed placidly. "Go on, Jimmy."
As he spoke the car shot up the slight incline which hitherto shut
out the beach from view and at the same moment a half stifled
exclamation broke simultaneously from all three of its occupants.
Right across the track, in such a position as to shut out any
possibility of passing it, stood a big clumsy ox-cart, half full of
sand. Some yards further on they could see the driver chatting
affably to a couple of fishermen, but even if he had wished to help
them, he was too far away to be of any use.
Under the circumstances Jimmy did the only thing that could possibly
have saved them. Thrusting out his clutch, he flung the wheel hard
over to the right, and with a wild swirl the car left the track, and
plunging forward into the soft sand at the side, came to a
staggeringly abrupt standstill.
Despite the shock, Tony had opened the door and was out on the beach
almost before the wheels had ceased to revolve.
"Come along," he said coolly; "plenty of time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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