Danglar!Yes,’therehewas-quiteclosetoher,onlyafewtablesaway-andbesidehimsataheavybuilt,clean-shavenmanofmiddleage。ThatwouldbeCloran,ofcourse-themanwhowastohavebeenluredtohisdeath。AndDanglarwasnervousanduneasy,shecouldsee。Hisfingersweredrummingatattooonthetable;hiseyeswererovingfurtivelyabouttheroom;andhedidnotseemtobepayinganybutthemostdistraitattentiontohiscompanion,whowastalkingtohim。
RhodaGraysankquicklyintoavacantchair。Threemen,linkedarminarm,anddecidedlymorethanalittledrunk,wereapproachingher。Sheturnedherheadawaytoavoidattractingtheirattention。
Itwastoofreeandeasyhereto-night,andshebegantoregrethertemerityathavingventuredinside;shewouldbetter,perhaps,havewaiteduntilDanglarcameout-onlythereweretwoexits,andshemighthavemissedhim-and……
Acoldfearuponher,sheshrankbackinherchair。Thethreemenhadhaltedatthetable,andwereclusteredaroundher。Theybeganajocularquarrelamongstthemselvesastowhoshoulddancewithher。
Herheartwaspounding。Shestoodup,andpushedthemaway。
“Oh,no,youdon’t!“hiccoughedoneofthethree。“Gottaseeyour-hic!-prettyface,anyhow!“
Sheputupherhandsfranticallyandclutchedatherveil-butjustaninstanttoolatetosaveitfrombeingwrenchedaside。WildlyhereyesflewtoDanglar。Hisattentionhadbeenattractedbythescene。
Shesawhimrisefromhisseat;shesawhiseyeswiden-andthen,stumblingoverhischairinhishaste,hemadetowardher。DanglarhadrecognizedtheWhiteMoll!
Sheturnedandran。Fear,horror,desperation,lentherstrength。
ItwasnotlikethisthatshehadcountedonherreckoningwithDanglar!Shebrushedtheroisterersaside,anddartedforthedoor。
OverhershouldersheglimpsedDanglarfollowingher。Shereachedthedoor,burstthroughaknotofpeoplethere,and,hertornveilclutchedinherhand,dasheddownthesteps。Shecouldonlyrun-run,andpraythatinsomewayshemightescape。
Andthenamadexultationcameuponher。Shesawthemaninthechauffeur’sseatofthefirstcarinthelineleanoutandswingthedooropen。Andinaflashshegraspedthesituation。Themanwaswaitingforjustthis-forawomantocomerunningforherlifedownthestepsoftheSilverSphinx。Sheputherhanduptoherface,hidingitwiththetornveil,racedforthecar,andflungherselfintothetonneau。
Thedoorslammed。Thecarleapedfromthecurb。Danglarwascomingdownthesteps。Sheheardhimshout。Thechauffeur,inastartledway,leanedout,asheevidentlyrecognizedDanglar’svoice-butRhodaGraywasmistressofherselfnow。Thetonneauofthecarwasnotseparatedfromthedriver’sseat,andbendingforward,shewrenchedherrevolverfromherpocket,andpressedthemuzzleofherweapontothebackoftheman’sneck。
“Don’tstop!“shegasped,strugglingforherbreath。“Goon!
Quick!“
Theman,withafrightenedoath,obeyed。Thecargainedspeed。A
glancethroughthewindowbehindshowedDanglarclimbingintotheothercar。
AndthenforamomentRhodaGraysattherefightingforherself-control,withthecertainknowledgeinhersoulthatuponherwits,andherwitsalone,herlifedependednow。Shestudiedthecar’smechanismoverthechauffeur’sshoulder,evenasshecontinuedtoholdherrevolverpressedsteadilyagainstthebackoftheman’sneck。Shecoulddriveacar-shecoulddrivethisone。Thepresenceofthischauffeur,oneofthegang,wasanaddedmenace;
thereweretoomanytrickshemightplaybeforeshecouldforestallthem,anyoneofwhichwoulddeliverherintothehandsofDanglarbehindthere-anapparentlyinadvertentstoppageduetotraffic,forinstance,thatwouldbringthepursuingcaralongside-that,oradozenotherthingswhichwouldachievethesameend。
“Openthedooronyourside!“shecommandedabruptly。“Andgetout-withoutslowingthecar!Doyouunderstand?“
Heturnedhisheadforahalfincredulous,halffrightenedlookather。Shemethiseyessteadily-thetornveil,quitediscardednow,wasinherpocket。Shedidnotknowtheman;butitwasquiteevidentfromthealmostludicrousdismaywhichspreadoverhisfacethatheknewher。
“The-theWhiteMoll!“hestammered。“It’stheWhiteMoll!“
“Jump!“sheorderedimperatively-andherrevolverpressedstillmoresignificantlyagainsttheman’sflesh。
Heseemedinevenfrantichastetoobeyher。Hewhippedthedooropen,and,beforeshecouldreachtothewheel,hehadleapedtothestreet。Thecarswervedsharply。Sheflungherselfoverintothevacatedseat,andsnatchedatthewheelbarelyintimetopreventthemachinefrommountingthecurb。
Shelookedaroundagainthroughthewindowofthehood。ThemanhadswungaboardDanglar’scar,whichwasonlyafewyardsbehind。
RhodaGraydrovesteadily。Hereinthecitystreetsheroneaimmustbenevertolettheothercarcomeabreastofher;butshecouldpreventthateasilyenoughbywatchingDanglar’smovements,andcuttingacrossinfrontofhimifheattemptedanythingofthesort。Butultimatelywhatwasshetodo?Howwasshetoescape?
Herhandsgrippedandclenchedinasudden,almostpanic-likedesperationatthewheel。Turnsuddenlyaroundacorner,andjumpfromthecarherself?Itwasuselesstoattemptit;theywouldkeeptooclosebehindtogiveherachancetogetoutofsight。
Well,then,supposeshejumpedfromthecar,andtrustedherselftotheprotectionofthepeopleonthestreet。Sheshookherheadgrimly。
Danglar,sheknewonlytoowell,wouldriskanything,gotoanylength,toputanendtotheWhiteMoll。Hewouldnothesitateaninstanttoshootherdownasshejumpedandhewouldbefairlysafehimselfindoingit。Afewrevolvershotsfromacarthatspeededawayinthedarknessofferedanevenchanceofescape。Andyet,unlesssheforcedanissuesuchasthat,sheknewthatDanglarwouldnotresorttofiringatherhereinthecity。Hewouldwanttobesurethatwastheonlychancehehadofgettingher,beforeheacceptedtheriskthathewouldrunofbeingcaughtforitbythepolice。
Shefoundherselfbecomingstrangely,almostunnaturally,coolandcollectednow。Theonedanger,greaterthanallothers,thatmenacedherwasatrafficblockthatwouldcausehertostop,andallowthoseintheothercarbehindtorushinuponherasshesathereatthewheel。Andsoonerorlater,ifshestayedinthecity,ablocksuchasthatwasinevitable。Shemustgetoutofthecity,then。Itwasonlytoinviteanotherrisk,theriskthatDanglarwasinthefastercarofthetwobuttherewasnootherway。
Shedrovemorequickly,madeherwaytotheBridge,andcrossedit。
Thecarbehindfollowedwithimmutablepersistence。Itmadenoefforttoclosetheshortgapbetweenthem;but,neither,ontheotherhand,diditpermitthatgaptowiden。
TheypassedthroughBrooklyn;andthen,reachingtheoutskirts,RhodaGray,withheadlightsstreamingintotheblack,withanopenLongIslandroadbeforeher,flungherthrottlewide,andthecarleapedlikeathingoflifeintothenight。Itwasasuddenstart,itgainedherahundredyardsbutthatwasall。
Thewindtoreatherandwhippedherface;thecarrockedandreeledasinsomemadfrenzy。Therewasnotmuchtraffic,butsuchastherewasitclearedawayfrombeforeherasifbymagic,as,seekingshelterfromthewildmeteoricthingrunningamuck,thefewvehicles,motororhorse,thatsheencounteredhugged;theedgeoftheroad,andthewindwhiskedtoherearsfragmentsofshoutsandexecrations。Againandagainshelookedbacktwofieryballsoflightblazedbehindheralwaysthosesametwofieryballs。
Sheneithergainednorlost。Rigid,likesteel,herlittlefigurewascrouchedoverthewheel。Shedidnotknowtheroad。Sheknewnothingsavethatshewasracingforherlife。Shedidnotknowtheend;shecouldnotseetheend。Perhapstherewouldbesomemercifulpieceofluckforherthatwouldwinherthroughabreak-downtothatroaringthing,withitseyesthatwereballsoffire,behind。
Shepassedthroughatownwithlightedstreetsandlightedwindowsorwasitonlyimagination?Itwasgoneagain,anyhow,andtherewasjustblackroadahead。Overtheroarofthecarandthesweepofthewind,then,shecaught,orfanciedshecaught,aseriesoffaintreports。Shelookedbehindher。Yes,theywerefiringnow。Littleflashesleapedoutaboveandatthesidesofthoseblazingheadlights。
HowlongwasitsinceshehadlefttheSilverSphinx?Minutesorhourswouldnotmeasureit,wouldthey?Butitcouldnotlastmuchlonger!Shewasgrowingverytired;thestrainuponherarms,yes,anduponhereyes,wasbecomingunbearable。Sheswayedalittleinherseat,andthecarswerved,andshejerkeditbackagainintothestraight。Shebegantolaughalittlehystericallyandthen,suddenly,shestraightenedup,tenseandalertoncemore。
Thatswervewasthegermofaninspiration!Ittookrootswiftlynow。Itwasdesperate-butshewasdesperate。Shecouldnotdrivemuchmore,ormuchlongerlikethis。Mindandbodywerealmostundone。And,besides,shewasnotoutdistancingthatcarbehindtherebyafoot;andsoonerorlatertheywouldhitherwithoneoftheirshots,or,perhapswhattheywerereallytryingtodo,punctureoneofhertires。
Againsheglancedoverhershoulder。Yes,Danglarwasjustfarenoughbehindtomaketheplanpossible。Shebegantoallowthecartoswervenoticeablyatintervals,asthoughshewereweakeningandthecarwasgettingbeyondhercontrol-whichwas,indeed,almosttooliterallythecase。Andnowitseemedtoherthateachtimesheswervedtherecameanexultantshoutfromthecarbehind。
Well,sheaskedfornothingbetter;thatwaswhatshewastryingtodo,wasn’tit?-inspirethemwiththebeliefthatshewasbreakingunderthestrain。
Hereyessearchedanxiouslydowntheluminouspathwaymadebyherhigh-poweredheadlights。Ifonlyshecouldreachapieceofroadthatcombinedtwothings-anembankmentofsomesort,andacurvejustsharpenoughtothrowthoseheadlightsbehindoffatatangentforaninstantastheyroundedit,too,infollowingher。