“You have a wonderfully fine car, madam,” observed Tom Bob, as the princess’s chauffeur, making a clever turn and taking advantage of the exceptional speed of the car, took the head of the procession formed by the different cars. “
We shall be there in a few seconds; I shall be sorry for that, madam.”
“You ...”
But at the very instant Sonia Danidoff was in act to reply, a cry of horror and anguished fear escaped her lips, while for his part, Tom Bob could hardly restrain a startled oath.
What had happened? Impossible for the occupants of the cars to perceive in the bewilderment of the moment! What blunder had the chauffeur made to provoke the accident? Suddenly, without any diminution of speed, without even any application of the brakes to slow up the pace, the four first cars following the road from the Pré Catalan had plunged into the lake of the Bois de Boulogne!
Fortunately the lake is not very deep. Still, the danger was serious that confronted those who found themselves thus involved in so sudden a shipwreck. The women were muffled in their cloaks, the men hampered with their great coats; moreover, the cars had been pitched almost one on top of the other, and cries of terrified bewilderment rose on all sides.
Inside Sonia’s limousine events followed each other with dramatic swiftness. Tom Bob, a marvel of presence of mind, a miracle of coolness, had not lost his head for an instant. The moment the princess broke off to scream, the moment he felt the ground slip from under the wheels, he realized what was happening. In a flash he concluded at first that the princess’s driver, deceived by the darkness, had misjudged his turn, and cried out instinctively:
“We are over.”
But the limousine itself was struck heavily by the car behind, and the detective and the princess were thrown forward and bruised against the sides. Then the whole horror of the situation was revealed. Sonia had fainted, and the dark, surging waters of the lake were pouring into the vehicle in icy torrents through the broken windows. The limousine was sinking!
“Damnation!” roared Tom Bob; then, quick as lightning, gripping the princess by one arm, he forced open the door in spite of the weight of water and struck out. He was a powerful swimmer, and in a few seconds more he and his precious burden had reached the bank of the lake.