She wore over her dress a coat, and a small hat was on her head.
‘Carried off!’ she exclaimed, and the candle shook. ‘By whom?’
‘Need we ask? Your father thought he had done with Simon Lock, but Simon Lock is not so easily done with.’
‘But what can Simon Lock do with father?’
‘Anything that a villain dares,’ said Richard.
‘Come along; don’t wait. We will take one of the motor-cars and follow.’
They ran forth from the house to the sheds. The Décauville car stood in the first shed.
‘Is it ready for action, do you know?’ asked Richard.
‘Perfectly. I had it out the day before yesterday.’
But when they came to start it they discovered that the pipe which led the petrol to the cylinder had been neatly severed. It was the simplest operation, but quite effective to disable the car. Nothing could be done without a new pipe.