Any idea of force was out of the question. But for the presence of my wife, we would have done what we could. With Adele in our care, however, we could not afford to fail, and--they were three to two.

I racked my brain desperately....

Presently one of the trio lugged out a watch. When he showed his fellows the hour, they flung up their arms. A moment later they were clearing for action.

_Le Temps_ was carefully folded and stuffed out of sight. Berry was informed, with a bow, that, so soon as their car was turned round, they would be ready to leave. The slightest of the three stepped to the starting-handle...

The next moment, with a deafening roar, their engine was under way.

I was standing with my hand upon our off hind wing, and as the driver ran to his throttle, I felt a steady tremor.

_Under cover of the other car's roar, Adele had started Pong's engine_.

What was a great deal more, _she had given me my cue_.

I thought like lightning.

There was not a moment to lose. Already the driver was in his seat and fumbling with his gear-lever....

As slowly as I dared, I strolled to the off-side door.

Adele's and my eyes met.

"When you hear me say, 'Look'," I said.

With the faintest smile, 'Pierrette' stared through the wind-screen....

I returned to the rear of the car.

The way we were using was narrow, but fifty paces away in the direction of Argeles was a track which left our road to lead to a farm. For this spot the driver was making. There he would be able to turn with the acme of ease.

His two companions were standing close to Berry.

As luck would have it, the latter was standing with his back to our car, perhaps a foot from the tail-lamp.

Not one of the three, I fancy, had any idea that our engine was running.

I addressed the mechanics in French.

"I have been talking with _Madame_, and, tired as she is, she agrees that it will be best if we follow you to Lourdes. Please don't go too fast when you get to the town, or we shall lose our way."

As they a.s.sured me of their service, I turned to Berry, as though to translate what I had said.

"There are two steps to the d.i.c.key. The lower one is two paces to your right and one to your rear. It is not meant for a seat, but it will do. Throw your arm round the spare wheels and sit tight."

Berry shrugged his shoulders.

A glance up the road showed me the other car being turned into the track.

I crossed to the near side of Pong and stooped as though to examine the exhaust. The 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 gla.s.s 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.