When Crocker and Lonsdale entered the Hathaway home Josie O’Gorman briefly outlined to them the coming of Danny and of hearing the automobile. Crocker turned instantly and went through the kitchen into the courtyard and across to the old stable.
Here it was plainly evident to his practiced eye that not only had a machine come and gone, but at least three individual pairs of feet had plodded around the doorway. Not pausing to investigate the footprints further than to assure himself that one deep imprint was of a small and high-heeled slipper, Crocker strode back to the house. The immediate thing to do was to trace the car before the lowering storm broke in all its fury and completely erased the tracks.
When he reached the house he found Aunt Sally and Uncle Ben fussily scurrying about, trying to help and managing most successfully to be in everybody’s way.
“Oh, Lawdy, Lawdy,” groaned Aunt Sally, as she slipped an all-enveloping slicker upon Josie’s shoulders, “dat lightnin’ sho’ am de bad sign. I jes’ opine I ain’ nevah gwine fo’ to see ma lamb agin!” And then the woolly head of good old Aunt Sally was hidden by her huge checked apron, which she flung over it, and her body rocked and swayed with the moans and sobs that shook her.
Uncle Eben took special charge of his beloved master, the Colonel, bringing his big sou’wester and cheering Grandpa Jim with the helpful assurance: “Massa Jim, Ah knowed they’s somethin’ awful gwine fo’ to happen caze las’ night Ah dreamt of a white mule. Ain’t nevah knowed it to fail to mean death and destruction when Ah dream of a white mule.”
At last they climbed into the car, Crocker and Lonsdale in the front, Josie O’Gorman and Colonel Hathaway in the tonneau. The storm seemed just about to crash in all its fury above their heads and the lightning was sharp and incessant. By the powerful searchlight of the car they could easily trace the route of the machine they were pursuing until they reached the macadam road. Here the wind in all its previous fury had blow away all traces of the wheels.
Lonsdale stopped and Crocker climbed out to investigate the ground more closely. As he did so the unmistakable chug-chug of a Ford was heard evidently coming at full speed down the road.
Instantly alert, at Crocker’s command Lonsdale placed his automobile directly across the road. The Ford came on until almost upon the obstruction and then stopped with a jerk. As the searchlight played upon the new arrival, Josie with a sense of disappointment recognized Will White from the grocery store.
“Good heavens, man,” said Lonsdale testily, “were you trying to run us down?”
Will White laughed his slow, lazy laugh. “Naw, not quite,” he said, “but I was allowin’ as how Uncle Will and me might hit it home afore the rain.”