"Wouldn't own up that he'd given in!" Jake remarked. "The fellow's a blamed obstinate old tough. I wonder whether he felt curious if you were hurt."
"I reckon he knew," said Jim. "However, I thought this morning there was somebody about——"
He stopped abruptly, and Jake heard a step. They were quiet for a few moments, and then Tom Shanks came round a corner of the bank and stood looking at them. Jim's face was cut and rather white, but the stains on his clothes indicated that he had been working among wet soil. Jake gave Shanks a keen glance and thought he looked surprised, as if he had not expected to see Jim there.
"Do you want a job?" the latter asked.
"I want nowt fra you. You can give your job to them as will ca' you maister," Shanks rejoined and went off.
"A sullen hog!" Jake remarked. "I'd like to know when he or the old man moved the wire."
"So would I. It's rather important," said Jim. "If he was hanging about and came for the thing as soon as the car took the ditch, he probably saw me under the wheel and meant to leave me there. How long were you in making the spot after you heard the smash?"
"Perhaps five minutes. Mordaunt's car was at the steps and we jumped on board while he started her."
"If you had lost much time, I imagine you'd have found me dead."
"Then why did you offer Shanks a job?"