Philip, unable to free himself, went over with his car. "I rather fancy the old man must have been putting his oar in again," he said to himself, as the road rose suddenly up to meet him.
So the Meldrum Automatic Electro-Magnetic Brake was proved. When they examined the car afterwards it was found that though the brake-shoes were scorched and damaged beyond recall, the Brake itself was in perfect order.
The other car was hardly injured. Its occupants were unhurt.
But Philip did not know this. He had ceased to take any active interest in the proceedings.
Only for one brief moment during the subsequent twenty-four hours did he exhibit any sign of intelligence at all. This was when he woke up on his way back to London. He found himself lying in a smooth-running vehicle of some kind. The light was uncertain, and his vision was somewhat obscured by bandages; but he was dimly conscious that some one was sitting beside him—close beside him.
He made an inarticulate sound. Instantly the figure stirred and a face came very close to his.
Philip surveyed the face gravely, and remarked:—
"Hallo, Pegs!"