Read The Carter Girls' Mysterious Neighbors Page 22

  CHAPTER XXII

  A NEAT TRICK

  The court-house was due south of Grantly and towards it the count turnedhis powerful little car. After running about two miles, he made adeviation 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 testifyin 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 wasrapidly recovering.

  "Naturally not! You can thank your stars that you are too big a fool tobe trusted to face a judge," snarled Herz.

  The three negroes who were hanging to the car were jubilant at thenews.

  "I sho' is lucky," said one. "I ain't nebber had no sinse an' it lookslak 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 theyendeavored to escape," suggested Herz with a humorous twist to his uglymouth.

  "Oh, boss! Please don't do no sich a deed," whined James Hanks. "I ain'tnever a-goin' ter let on that you----"

  "I know you are not!" and Herz put a cold revolver against the negro'stemple. "You are not even going to let on anything here in this car. Nowyou 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 thegrateful negroes with instructions to take the first train north andthen to separate.

  "They'll catch you sure if you stick together. But if they do catchyou, you keep your black mouths shut about anything connected with theCount 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 wentover the muddy roads as fast as the wonderful engine could take them. Itwas just dawn when they reached a certain spot in the road on the way tothe court-house where they considered it most likely they could worktheir machinations.

  There was a sharp curve with a steep embankment on the outer edge. Thecar was carefully steered until two wheels were almost over theprecipice. Then the count alighted, first turning off his engine. Withshoulders to the wheel, the two men pushed until the machine toppledover 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 theembankment. 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 Ihave good red blood for two."

  He deliberately gashed his arm with his penknife and smeared his facewith blood, and then rubbed it all over the countenance of the laughingcount, who seemed to look upon the whole affair as a kind of collegeboy's prank.

  "Now your ankle is sprained and you can't walk, so I'll go to thenearest farmhouse for assistance and there telephone Mr. Sutton that hisprisoners have escaped. You were pinioned under the car and I had to digyou out,--remember!"

  "All right, but I wish you would have the sprained ankle and let me gofor aid. I'm beastly hungry and besides I don't want to be laid up justnow. I rather wanted to take a walk with Miss Douglas Carter thisafternoon. Heavens! Wasn't she beautiful last night?"

  "Humph!"

  "Much more beautiful than her sister, although I tell you that thatHelen was very wonderful, especially after her hair came down and shehad played angel. I wish I could have taken that stupid doctor's carinstead of my own little red devil. I should have enjoyed ditching hiscar, but we needed the endurance and speed of my own darling."

  "You had better be having some pain now in case a traveler comes alongthe road. I'll get help as soon as possible;" and Herz went off withoutany comment on the comparative beauty of the two Misses Carter. Douglaswas to him the most beautiful person in all the world, but he hatedhimself for loving her, feeling instinctively that his love washopeless. His very name was against him and should she ever know thetruth--but pshaw! These stupid people never would find out things. Theywere as easy to hoodwink as the darkies themselves.

  Mr. Sutton's fury knew no bounds when he got the message from Herz thatthe prisoners had escaped. It was with difficulty that he composedhimself sufficiently to ask after the welfare of the two gentlemen whohad undertaken the job of landing the negroes safely in jail.

  "The Count de Lestis has sprained his ankle and his face is all smearedwith blood,--I could not tell how great were his injuries," lied theunblushing one over the telephone. "I spent hours getting him from underthe car. Fortunately the mud was soft and deep and he is not seriouslyinjured."

  "Just where was the accident?"

  "At that sharp curve in the road about two miles this side of thecourt-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 ammechanic enough to repair the engine."

  "How about a doctor for your friend? Dr. Wright is still with theCarters."

  "Oh--er--ah--I think he can get along very well without calling in aphysician. I have bandaged his ankle."

  "You did a good deal before you gave warning as to the escape of theprisoners."

  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 becalled and the country scoured for the missing men.