The pursuing car stopped in bare season to escape collision with the fallen tree. It had been completely blocked from further pursuit.
“Stop them! Hold them!” shouted Mr. Briggs and Mr. Armitage.
“Are you there, Billy?” yelled Dan Speedwell.
The leader of the party in the first maroon car leaped back toward that crippled machine. At the moment one of his mates whistled a shrill signal, while George, the chauffeur, shouted:
“All ready! We’re off!”
Mr. Polk, as well as several of the hunters, made for the man. He eluded them with ease, sprang into the middle of the road, and sprinted for the forward car. There was only Billy Speedwell between him and escape.
CHAPTER XIV
A FAILURE AND A SUCCESS
But Billy was a factor to be counted on. There was peril in any attempt to halt the leader of the bank robbers. The lad knew that well enough. He would have tackled either of the others with a better liking for the job; he knew them to be less desperate.
He shot out of the shadow of the bushes, still on hands and knees, and threw his body across the track of the running man. The fellow could neither dodge, nor overleap the boy; the latter had timed his intervention too well. So he tripped upon Billy, and sprawled like a huge frog in the roadway.