“You just bet that was what I did the first thing,” the other told him exultantly; “but I had another card up my sleeve, too. You see they might hammer that back into shape again, and get a move on; but I fixed it so they’ll not chase after us to-day.”
“What did you do, then?” demanded Hanky Panky.
“I had my big knife all ready,” said Josh grimly, “and I used it with all my might and main.”
“On the tires, do you mean, Josh?”
“Every one of them is sliced and slashed the worst way you ever saw,” replied the other. “I never was guilty of doing such a mean thing before in all my life; but it was absolutely necessary if we meant to shut off pursuit. You ought to have heard the air sizzling out after I jammed that big blade through, and ripped it along! Whee! it was mighty exciting, because I half expected to see one of the men come rushing out any old second, and chase after me down the road. But I was lucky, and nothing like that happened.”
Hanky Panky looked his deep admiration. He often wished Nature had made him as smart as Josh, with that underlying streak of Yankee blood in his veins. Hanky was willing to try to accomplish anything that came his way; but being a bit clumsy in his actions there was always a chance that he would bungle his job, and fail to attain the expected results.
He slapped the late actor in the stirring little drama heartily on the back.
“Good boy, Josh!” he went on to say; “you’re all wool, and a yard wide. Why, even Rod here couldn’t have done a whit better. There, see, the men are starting this way as if they meant to make us get a move on.”
“Oh! we’re willing to oblige Jules,” laughed Rod; “especially since we’ve accomplished all we meant to do, and their car is placed out of commission. Good-bye, Jules; if we meet again before we’ve played this game out it will be where the cannon are roaring, and the battle is on! Until that time, then, adieu!”
Immediately the trio started along the road leading to Ostend. Rod had figured some time back that they would soon be across the border, and traversing French soil. The last glimpse they had of the baffled plotter he was standing in the road and still staring hard after the vanishing Motorcycle Boys.