294 GARRYOWEN 



chance to be killed as either of them. If Giveen 

 is killed, or the sweep he's with, well, it's the 

 fortune of war; if none of us are killed I'll sit on 

 Giveen's head and send the other Johnnie for help ; 

 then, whilst he's gone, I'll nobble Giveen and drag 

 him back to the cottage, across country this time, 

 and leave the old motor to look after herself.' " 



" Did you really intend to do that? " asked 

 Violet Grimshaw, looking at Bobby with a mixture 

 of wonder and admiration. 



" Intend to do it? Why, I did it, only the old 

 car didn't. I shoved the lever full speed ahead, 

 and what does she do but stop dead and shoot me 

 on to her bonnet! " 



" Did Giveen see you? " asked French. 



"No; he never looked back once, and he and 

 the old cart he was in vanished in the dusk. It 

 was when I got down to light the lamps that some- 

 thing happened to the machinery. I must have 

 pulled up too sharp, for I heard something go in 

 the fore part of the engine. Anyhow, I was done 

 for. Well, there was nothing for me to do but 

 look for help, and at last I got a farmer chap to 

 hire me two horses to drag the old rattle-trap 

 back to Southend. That was cheerful, wasn't 

 it? At Southend I found a motor repairing shop, 

 the only one in the town, and the mechanic who 

 did the repairing out with a car that wouldn't 

 be back till midnight. So I paid for the horses 

 and sent them off, and got a bed for the night. 

 Well, to cut it short, I was up at six this morning, 



I 



