Читать книгу Standish Gets His Man - Percy Francis Westerman - Страница 5
ОглавлениеThe Abandoned Car
A constable went up to each of the captured men, ordered them to lower their arms, and deftly snapped on the bracelets.
"I charge you with robbery with violence on certain premises in the city of York!" announced Colin, adding the customary warning that anything the accused might say would, if necessary, be taken as evidence against them.
If the bandits did make any reply, Standish quite expected to hear them speak with a strong American accent. To his utter surprise one of the men protested in broad Yorkshire:
"Robbery wi' violence, sitha? Happen, lad, thou't made mistake. 'Twur but a few conies we'd a-taken!"
Without replying, Standish swung round and hurried to the abandoned car.
Don Grey met him with his customary cheerful grin.
"Ever hear of gangsters holding up a bank to get hold of a brace of hares and a dozen rabbits?" was his greeting.
"Nothing else in the car?"
"Nothing! We've been barking up the wrong tree, old son!"
"And not the first time," rejoined Colin.
"Why did those two fellows do a bunk?"
"Conscience, my lad, conscience! One admitted to me that they had been poaching, and the sight of two R.A.C. 'planes scared 'em stiff."
The idea of two units of the Royal Air Constabulary being engaged upon the task of apprehending a pair of poachers was too much for Don Grey's gravity. He roared with merriment, until Standish reminded him that all this time the bandits were on the move—unless the other machines had succeeded in spotting them.
"What about the fellows you arrested?" he asked, after a moment's pause.
"Not worth wasting a pair of bracelets apiece on," decided Standish. "Especially as it would mean leaving one of the men in charge of them. I've taken the number of their car. Come along!"
Accompanied by his subordinate, Standish at once hurried back to where the two manacled men were standing.
"'Cuse me, sir," reported Sergeant Heswall, "but one of these men has made an important statement. He declares that a grey saloon with the rear number-plate hidden, overtook them about eight miles back. It nearly forced them on to the verge and then swung left with two wheels in the air and disappeared in the direction of Sledmire."
"He volunteered this statement? You didn't suggest that we were looking for a car of that description?"
"No, sir!"
"Good! Remove the handcuffs from these men, Sergeant! I charged them with robbery with violence, not with poaching!... Look here, you men! It's quite possible I'll forget all about you, especially if your information comes in useful. You'll find your car will run all right now."
Leading his baffled crew back to D 1, Standish ordered the operator to wireless to the other 'plane requesting her to switch off the magneto-arresting rays.
Quickly D 1 took off and, followed by her consort, set off in the direction of Sledmire. Wireless communication with the other units of the flight resulted in negative information. No sign of the fugitive bandits had been seen, and no further information had been received from any of the ground police in the district.
For the next two hours D flight carried out its pre-arranged patrol. From north to south and then from east to west the seven machines flew in line abreast, with a four hundred yards interval between each. In this manner the whole of the area under suspicion was systematically combed from the air, but still without results.
Reports from the ground came in with remarkable frequency, only to be cancelled a few minutes later. Hundreds of cars, not only on the main roads but in some of the most remote lanes of the wolds, had been stopped by the members of the East Riding Constabulary, but in no case was there any reason to suppose that the gangsters were in any one of the vehicles challenged. The cost of these operations to the state was, however, partly compensated by the big haul made by the police of motorists who had unknowingly transgressed against some of the numerous petty regulations laid down for their benefit or discomfiture!
"Another morning wasted!" declared Colin. "Our recall signal will be coming through in another few minutes!"
"Four hundred gallons of fuel wasted," added Don. "Nothing to show for it, absolutely nothing! I say, though! What's that? Just beyond that clump. Looks to me as if it might be a car. If it is, what's it doing there?"
In obedience to an order D 1 commenced to circle over the suspicious object. The other machines, receiving no instructions, carried on.
Through their binoculars the observers brought the abandoned car within a few feet of them. Obviously it had been left only recently, for steam was issuing from the radiator, indicating that it had been driven remorselessly up the steep gradients that flank the western and southern boundaries of the wold. There was no building within a radius of a quarter of a mile; the lane by which the car had come seemed to lose itself a mile farther on. These facts pointed to the probability that the late occupants of the car were not making for anywhere in particular.
Standish decided to descend and investigate. Before doing so he circled again to try to detect the fugitives, and also to send a wireless message announcing his discovery.
A reference to the map informed him that the car had been abandoned almost midway between the villages of Leppington and Leavening. A wireless message to the police station in the latter elicited the information that, with the exception of the operator, the constables were on their way to the suspected vehicle.
"That's of no use," thought Colin. "They should be rounding up suspects, not concentrating upon one abandoned car."
Choosing the nearest possible landing-ground, and that was quite half a mile from the car, Standish brought D 1 to earth. Then, leaving two men in charge, since there was the probability of the gangsters attempting to seize the R.A.C. machine, Standish and the rest of the crew trudged up the steep, rough-surfaced lane along which the suspects had preceded them.
Taking into consideration the sparsely populated district it was surprising how in an incredibly short space of time a small crowd had collected. The local police had spread the news of the bank robbery at York and were now good-naturedly engaged in keeping the interested spectators from helping themselves to souvenirs!
The sergeant, recognizing the Royal Air Constabulary, saluted Standish stiffly. He was feeling rather peeved that these air police should butt in when he was handling the situation in traditional manner.
It was the car right enough. The bandits had painted out part of the aluminium number-plate so that the original TK 771 had become K 77. No doubt it had been stolen for the purpose of the raid, but the significant fact was the discovery of a rectangular piece of steel that fitted the back of the saloon and was provided with a slit corresponding with part of the rear window. Obviously the sheet of metal was intended as a protection against bullets, while the slit was to be employed as an aperture through which one of the gunmen could direct a hail of machine-gun bullets against pursuers.
As far as finger-prints were concerned, Colin quickly realized that so many of the crowd had handled the abandoned car and its fitments that it would be a waste of time to concentrate upon these. The only satisfaction he got was the fact that he had seen the bandits' car and was able to reassure himself that the police were up against a type of criminal happily hitherto unknown within the limits of the British Isles—the killer who shoots not only to evade capture but through sheer brutal lust for the shedding of human blood. More than ever, Colin realized not only the difficulty of his task, but its supreme importance.
"No sign of the men, sergeant?"
"None, sir."
"Footprints?"
The sergeant pointed to the sun-baked turf, rough and trampled.
"Not much use, sir. Now if there had only been rain——"
It was useless to remain longer. Standish and his men returned to the machine, accompanied by the greater part of the crowd, whose interest in an aeroplane taking off completely eclipsed their curiosity in the abandoned car.
Fifteen minutes later D flight returned to Hawkscar, where Standish had to report to Colonel Robartes that airmanship had so far failed in the contest with the alien law-breakers. It was an interview for which he had little relish!
"Don't take it to heart, Standish," said his chief. "You've evidently put the wind up the blighters. That's something to be going on with; but better luck next time!"
"I hope so, sir," rejoined Inspector Standish fervently.
