Following close behind the police car, the girl sped down the road in pursuit of the robbers. The two automobiles passed the roadhouse beyond the fork and raced toward Garwin.
“We should have overtaken the robbers by this time,” Nancy told herself anxiously, after a number of miles had been traversed and still there was no sight of a moving van. “They can’t have gone very far.”
Ten minutes passed. Then, unexpectedly, she caught a glimpse of a red tail light on the road far ahead.
“It must be the van!” Nancy thought. “The light doesn’t appear to be moving fast enough for an automobile.”
Evidently, the marshal and his deputies were of the same opinion, for at that moment the police car slowed down.
“Don’t fire unless it’s necessary,” the marshal ordered his men. “But if they resist, pepper them!”
Cautiously, the police car approached. As the headlight played upon the rear of the van, Nancy saw the license plate clearly and recognized the numbers.
Then as the van pulled over to the side of the road, the police car drove alongside.
“Halt!” came the order.
The van did not stop. Instead, it put on additional speed and crowded the police car toward the ditch. Nancy’s heart was in her mouth as she watched, for it seemed certain that the marshal and his deputies were doomed.
At the very edge of the road, the police car by a sudden spurt of speed forged ahead and averted disaster.