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saddle, and prepared for a rush.
The scullery door opened momentarily and sent a beam of warm, yellow
light up the road, shut again behind the man, and forthwith Hoopdriver
rushed the machines towards the gate. A dark grey form came fluttering
to meet him. "Give me this," she said, "and bring yours."
He passed the thing to her, touched her hand in the darkness, ran back,
seized Bechamel's machine, and followed.
The yellow light of the scullery door suddenly flashed upon the cobbles
again. It was too late now to do anything but escape. He heard the
ostler shout behind him, and came into the road. She was up and dim
already. He got into the saddle without a blunder. In a moment the
ostler was in the gateway with a full-throated "HI! sir! That ain't
allowed;" and Hoopdriver was overtaking the Young Lady in Grey. For
some moments the earth seemed alive with shouts of, "Stop 'em!" and the
shadows with ambuscades of police. The road swept round, and they were
riding out of sight of the hotel, and behind dark hedges, side by side.
She was weeping with excitement as he overtook her. "Brave," she said,
"brave!" and he ceased to feel like a hunted thief. He looked over
his shoulder and about him, and saw that they were already out of
Bognor--for the Vicuna stands at the very westernmost extremity of the
sea front--and riding on a fair wide road.
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