He seized the reins from the man and brought down the whip on the horse’s back with a crack that made the animal jump. It leaped forward with a jerk that seemed as if it would disrupt the crazy harness.
The man began to yell with dismay. But Jack quickly checked him.
“It’s all right. You’ll be well paid for this. That man in the hack ahead of us is a thief.”
“Gelagoodness, Busha, I t’ink you was de thief, when you come leaping board mah cab de way you do.”
The man was reassured by Jack’s frankness, however, and they flew down the street at top speed after the other cab. The way lay along the deserted water-front, by coal docks, warehouses and gaunt traveling cranes. There were few lights and the road was rough and uneven. The old hack jumped and bounced about like a ship at sea.
Suddenly something happened to the cab in front. One of its wheels caught in a rut as it was passing a dock. The wrench proved too much for the rickety old contraption, and the wheel went spinning off its snapped axle, while the black-bearded occupant was flung into the road like a stone from a catapult.
He lay still a moment while the driver of the wrecked vehicle in vain tried to stop his horse. Sagging to one side on its broken axle, the hack vanished in the distance with its runaway steed’s legs working like piston rods.
Jack was out of the following rig in a flash. He rushed up to the black-bearded man’s side just as the other rose to his feet.
It was not till that moment that Jack recollected that he had no weapon with him.