A wail of merriment from Adele and a pressure upon my left arm brought me to my senses.

Watch in hand, Mr. Dunkelsbaum was dancing upon a strip of turf by the edge of the stream, bellowing at me to start the car.

“I do nod gare vor my bood, no.  But der abboinmen’....  It vill nod vaid, I say.  An’ it is now vive minute to begin.  Ach!  What vor ’ave you sid dere an’ laugh?  My ’eart pleeds vor you.  Ten tousand devil!  But vill you sdard ub der auto?”

The yell with which he delivered the last sentence changed to a howl as his bootless foot alighted heavily upon an odd pebble, and Nobby peered out of some long grass, boot in mouth, to see whether the situation was affording further opportunities.  Apparently it was not, for he lay down where he was and proceeded with the dismemberment of his spoil.

Adele turned her head away and held her handkerchief to her eyes.

I set my foot upon the self-starter....

The moment the engine started, Nobby abandoned his treasure and leapt barking to the side of the car, fearful, as usual, lest he be left behind.  Muttering hideously, Mr. Dunkelsbaum seized the opportunity of retrieving his boot, whose present condition was apparently even worse than he had expected, for a hurried examination of the same elicited an involuntary cry of torment, and he shook his fist at the terrier in a fit of ungovernable fury.

Slowly I brought the Rolls out of the splash, and when, as I judged, about six feet lay between the back wheels and the stream, again I stopped the engine....

For a moment I thought Mr. Dunkelsbaum would offer me violence.  His mouth worked uncontrollably, and there was a suspicion of foam upon the thick lips.  A sudden violent tug at the boot, which was still in his right hand awaiting replacement, mercifully diverted his attention, but the savagery with which he launched a kick at Nobby, who was once more in possession and already out of range, was terrible to witness.

“’Ell-’ound!” he screamed. “’Ell-’ound!  You vould dare!  I vill throw you oud of der vindow with one ’and.  I vill gig der eyes from your ’ead.”  In the midst of the paroxysm he turned to me, wild-eyed and gesticulating.  “What vor ‘ave you stay still?  You mus’ sdard again an’ again, yes.  To Brrrooch!  To Brrrooch!” He snatched his watch from his pocket and dabbed at its face with a shaking forefinger.  “Der glogs vill berhaps be wrong.  I vill give you dwendy bounds if ve shall ’ave arrive in dime!”

The rearguard of my compunction, which had been putting up a fight, vanished into thin air.  The sweep had offered me money.  I was prepared to twist his tall indefinitely.

“If you pushed behind,” I said coldly, “we might get her going.  If we do, you must get in while she’s moving.  I daren’t stop, or we may have to begin all over again.”

Mr. Dunkelsbaum eyed me suspiciously, and Berry, who had been hitherto afraid to trust his voice, took up the running with a dash.