And they were off, at a pace which was in striking contrast to that at which they had so recently been moving; that they were not, however, going at anything like the rate at which the car could travel was suggested by a remark which the chauffeur presently made:
"It's all very well for you to say whiz, and if I were to let her whiz she'd startle you; she's a 60, she is, and it's all I can do to keep her slow enough; but the police aren't fond of motor cars round these parts. Nice I should look if they were to trap me with you on board! The governor wouldn't say anything--he can't say anything--oh no! That would be about the end of me."
"Are the police hereabouts an active lot?"
"Active? I should think so! I seem to have seen more of them about to-day than I've ever seen. I thought it was the racing; but a chap I was talking to back there said there was something special up; he didn't quite know what it was, but he did know there was something. Like ferrets, the police are round here; I'd be sorry for anyone that they were after--they'd have him."
CHAPTER XII
[HEADLINES]
They were entering the outskirts of a country town. The easy-going vehicles which characterise country towns occasionally took up more than their fair share of the road. The chauffeur reduced speed.
"This is Timberham; slow as you can's the best game here--never know when you may run up against a peeler; seems to me they've nothing else to do except pounce on you if you're moving above a crawl; some of them would like to make out that you're doing twenty miles when you're hardly doing two." Suddenly the chauffeur spoke in a half whisper. "What did I tell you?" They had come along a narrow, winding street, where discreet driving was certainly a matter of necessity; it had suddenly widened out into a broad, open space, from which streets branched off in all directions. In the centre a constable was standing with a superior officer. At sight of the car the latter raised an authorative hand. "Now, what's he want?" growled the mechanic, under his breath. "Drat them fellers!"
The officer approached.
"You leave him to me," said Mr Frazer. "I'll talk to him. What is it, officer?"