“Don’t know,” Ford replied. He put on the power, there was a mighty roar, a burst of flame, and Cooper stood alone on the curb. Far down the street he saw the car thundering away.
A few minutes later it came roaring back and stopped. Ford sat in it, white.
“How far did you go?” Cooper asked. Ford told him.
“Do you mean to say she makes a speed like that?” Cooper ejaculated, aghast.
“She’ll make better than that. I didn’t dare to give her full power,” Ford replied. He climbed out and stood beside Cooper, and the two looked at the car in awe.
“See here, I hope you don’t think I’ll drive that thing in the races,” Cooper said after a time. “I wouldn’t do it for a gold mine. You’ll have to do it.”
“I should say not!” Ford retorted. “I won’t take the responsibility of driving her at full speed to win every race that was ever run. Cooper, if that car ever gets really started it will kill somebody, sure.”
CHAPTER XX
CLINGING TO A PRINCIPLE
Ford and Cooper regarded the juggernaut car for some time in meditative silence.
“Well, I guess you’ve built a real racer there, all right,” Cooper said admiringly.