"That"s where the hitch comes in," said the man. "I don"t know where to deliver the prisoner. When the court"s made up its mind they"ll let me know, and I"ll drive on. Now in the Civil War we sent them politicals to Fort Wadsworth."
"So you have to wait till they decide?"
"You bet I have. And there ain"t no superfluity of shade on the sunny side of this street neither," replied the driver, as he slipped off his coat and hung it with his cap on a peg beside the box seat of the Black Maria.
"Suppose you were to run into the court and see how they"re getting on,"
suggested Banborough, slipping a coin into his hand. "I want a word with the police when they"ve finished. Mention the _Daily Leader_. I"ll watch your horses."
"Oh, they"ll stand quiet enough," said the man. Then, suspiciously, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards Spotts, he asked: "Who"s yer pal?"
"Just a green hand whom I"m initiating into the business."
"You"re pretty green yourself or you wouldn"t have set me up," said the driver. "But if you"ll mind them horses I"ll just run across to McCafferty"s saloon and have a schooner of beer, and then drop into court for you."
"All right," responded Cecil. "Only don"t be all day; I"ve got another detail."
"Say," rejoined the man, "I can put beer down quicker than you can wink." And he ran across the street.
"Well, what"s to be done?" demanded Banborough, as the man left them.
"That"s easily answered," replied Spotts. "When he"s in court we"ll jump on the box, drive for all we"re worth till we"ve eluded pursuit, then rescue Miss Arminster and be off to Yonkers."
"But that"s laying ourselves open to arrest," expostulated the Englishman.
"We"ve done that already," said his friend.
"But they"ll know we"re not officials: we"ve no uniform."
"What, not when the driver has obligingly left his hat and coat?" said Spotts. "Slip them on. You"ve dark trousers, and no one will suspect."
"But driving fast--?" protested the author.
"Well, we"re going to a "hurry call," of course. You"ve no invention, man! And besides, I can"t drive."
"Oh, that doesn"t matter," said Banborough. "I understand all about horses."
"So I supposed, as you"re an Englishman."
"I don"t care much for this business, you know," remonstrated the unfortunate author.
"Neither do I," replied the actor. "But we might as well be killed for a sheep as a lamb, and we"ve a good chance of winning. Here comes the driver; give him a bluff."
"I ain"t lost much time," panted that individual as he pa.s.sed them, wiping the foam from his moustache with the back of his hand, and adding: "I"ll run right into court and be out again in a jiffy!"
"Stay long enough to see how things are going," called Cecil.
"All right! Guess the horses"ll stand," he replied, and disappeared within the building.
"Now, Bishop!" cried Spotts. And before the Englishman could think, his coat and hat had been whipped off and thrown on the box seat along with a small handbag which the actor carried, and he was being helped into the very hot and unsavoury clothes of the driver.
"Lucky they fit you," said his friend. "Lead the horses carefully to the corner, and see they don"t make more noise than necessary. If the driver should come out, you let "em go; otherwise wait for me. Know where to drive?"
"Along the park?"
"No," said Spotts. "Double several times, then try one of the avenues to the Harlem River. There are plenty of bridges. Now, careful!" And as Cecil moved slowly off, leading the horses towards the upper corner, the actor lounged up to the entrance of the court, blocking the doorway with his athletic figure.
After what seemed an eternity, Banborough achieved the corner of the block, and, mounting the box, turned the horses" heads down the side street, keeping an eagle eye upon the entrance of the court-room, within which his companion had now disappeared. Perhaps three minutes had elapsed when the actor came out, running quietly towards him so as not to attract attention. The street was well-nigh deserted, and no one seemed to have noticed the movements of the Black Maria.
"Walk slowly till we"re round the corner, and then drive for all you"re worth!" gasped Spotts, springing on to the seat beside him.
Cecil followed his directions implicitly, and a moment later they went tearing down the side street, and swung round the corner into an avenue, nearly colliding with a cable-car in the process, and causing a wild scatteration of pa.s.sengers and pedestrians.
"Here, that won"t do!" cried the actor above the rattle occasioned by their rapid progress over the cobblestones. "Ring the bell, or we"ll be arrested!"
"Where?" called Banborough.
"That k.n.o.b under your feet. Press it!"
The Englishman did as directed, and instantly the most hideous clamour arose beneath the carriage. The horses, which had been flying before, excited by the noise, put down their heads and tore blindly forward. The vehicle rocked and swayed, and the avenue and its occupants swept by in an indistinguishable blur.
"They"ll surely track us by the noise!" screamed Cecil, trying to make himself heard above the horrible din.
"We"re too far off by this time," returned Spotts. "Can you manage the horses?"
"Oh, they"re all right so long as we"ve a clear road!" yelled Banborough in reply.
They were now well under way, the traffic ahead of them swerving wildly to right and left at the insistent clamour of the bell. They rushed forward by leaps and bounds, an occasional stretch of asphalt giving them an instant"s respite from the dreadful shaking of the cobblestones.
They spoke but little, excitement keeping them quiet, but the Englishman suffered keenly in spirit at the thought of what the delicate girl, shut up in that dark stifling prison behind them, must be undergoing.
Suddenly in front of them loomed up the helmeted figure of a policeman, swinging his club and gesticulating wildly.
"Run him down!" howled Spotts; and Cecil, who had caught some of the madness of their wild flight, lashed the horses afresh and hurled the Black Maria straight at the officer of the law.
The constable, still gesticulating, made a hasty leap to one side, and they swept by a huge express-wagon which was coming up the cross-street, nearly grazing the noses of the rearing horses, and catching a glimpse of the driver"s startled face.
So they ran on and on, faster and faster as the traffic became less, and the pair of bays settled down in earnest to the race. Suddenly the street narrowed, and a confused ma.s.s of carts and horses seemed to block up the farther end. Banborough put on the brake, and with considerable difficulty succeeded in bringing his team to a standstill on the outer edge of the throng.
"It"s the Harlem River," cried Spotts, "and the drawbridge is up, curse the luck!"
There was nothing for it but wait, and Cecil, jumping down, patted the horses and examined the harness to make sure that everything was all right.
"You seem in a rush," said a neighbouring driver.
"Hurry call to Harlem," replied Banborough brusquely.
"Whereabouts?"
"Oh, police station."