A NEAT TRICK
The court-house was due south of Grantly and towards it the count turned
his powerful little car. After running about two miles, he made a
deviation to the west and then to the north.
"How much gasoline have we?" he asked Herz.
"The tank is full."
"Good! I take it you grasp my intentions."
"Of course! I'm no fool. It would never do to have these idiots testify
in court. Where to?"
"Richmond! There we can turn them loose with money enough to get north."
"Boss, ain't yer gonter han' us over?" asked James Hanks, who was
rapidly recovering.
"Naturally not! You can thank your stars that you are too big a fool to
be trusted to face a judge," snarled Herz.
The three negroes who were hanging to the car were jubilant at the
news.
"I sho' is lucky," said one. "I ain't nebber had no sinse an' it looks
lak it done he'p me out a heap ter be so foolish lak."
"It would be much easier to shoot them all and testify that they
endeavored to escape," suggested Herz with a humorous twist to his ugly
mouth.
"Oh, boss! Please don't do no sich a deed," whined James Hanks. "I ain't
never a-goin' ter let on that you----"
"I know you are not!" and Herz put a cold revolver against the negro's
temple. "You are not even going to let on anything here in this car. Now
you keep your mouth shut, and shut tight or I'll blow your head off.
We've got no use for people who fail."
"Heavens! What a Prussian you are, Herz!" laughed the count.
Richmond was reached in safety. Money was handed out to each one of the
grateful negroes with instructions to take the first train north and
then to separate.
"They'll catch you sure if you stick together. But if they do catch
you, you keep your black mouths shut about anything connected with the
Count de Lestis or me,--do you understand?"
They understood and made off as quickly as they could.
"Ain't he a tur'ble slave driver, though?" said the bandy-legged one,
and the others agreed.
No time for rest for the occupants of the little red car. Back they went
over the muddy roads as fast as the wonderful engine could take them. It
was just dawn when they reached a certain spot in the road on the way to
the court-house where they considered it most likely they could work
their machinations.
There was a sharp curve with a steep embankment on the outer edge. The
car was carefully steered until two wheels were almost over the
precipice. Then the count alighted, first turning off his engine. With
shoulders to the wheel, the two men pushed until the machine toppled
over into the ditch.
"There, my darling! I hated to do it. I hope you are not much hurt,"
said the count whimsically.
"Now roll on after her," and Herz pushed his employer over the
embankment. Then he jumped down himself and wallowed in the mud.
"Here's blood a-plenty for both of us. You can furnish blue blood but I
have good red blood for two."
He deliberately gashed his arm with his penknife and smeared his face
with blood, and then rubbed it all over the countenance of the laughing
count, who seemed to look upon the whole affair as a kind of college
boy's prank.
"Now your ankle is sprained and you can't walk, so I'll go to the
nearest farmhouse for assistance and there telephone Mr. Sutton that his
prisoners have escaped. You were pinioned under the car and I had to dig
you out,--remember!"
"All right, but I wish you would have the sprained ankle and let me go
for aid. I'm beastly hungry and besides I don't want to be laid up just
now. I rather wanted to take a walk with Miss Douglas Carter this
afternoon. Heavens! Wasn't she beautiful last night?"
"Humph!"
"Much more beautiful than her sister, although I tell you that that
Helen was very wonderful, especially after her hair came down and she
had played angel. I wish I could have taken that stupid doctor's car
instead of my own little red devil. I should have enjoyed ditching his
car, but we needed the endurance and speed of my own darling."
"You had better be having some pain now in case a traveler comes along
the road. I'll get help as soon as possible;" and Herz went off without
any comment on the comparative beauty of the two Misses Carter. Douglas
was to him the most beautiful person in all the world, but he hated
himself for loving her, feeling instinctively that his love was
hopeless. His very name was against him and should she ever know the
truth--but pshaw! These stupid people never would find out things. They
were as easy to hoodwink as the darkies themselves.
Mr. Sutton's fury knew no bounds when he got the message from Herz that
the prisoners had escaped. It was with difficulty that he composed
himself sufficiently to ask after the welfare of the two gentlemen who
had undertaken the job of landing the negroes safely in jail.
"The Count de Lestis has sprained his ankle and his face is all smeared
with blood,--I could not tell how great were his injuries," lied the
unblushing one over the telephone. "I spent hours getting him from under
the car. Fortunately the mud was soft and deep and he is not seriously
injured."
"Just where was the accident?"
"At that sharp curve in the road about two miles this side of the
court-house,--just beyond the bridge."
"Umhum! Do you need any assistance?"
"No, I thank you. I'll get some mules to right the car. I think I am
mechanic enough to repair the engine."
"How about a doctor for your friend? Dr. Wright is still with the
Carters."
"Oh--er--ah--I think he can get along very well without calling in a
physician. I have bandaged his ankle."
"You did a good deal before you gave warning as to the escape of the
prisoners."
There was no answer to this remark, so without further ceremony Mr.
Sutton hung up the receiver.
There was to be no rest for the weary, it seemed. A search party must be
called and the country scoured for the missing men.