"Now if you will
take my advice and get started, young man, I would be very much
obliged to you."
As the chauffeur felt for the starter and threw in the clutch Bob was
desperately conscious of the old woman's accusing gaze on the back
of his head.
"Say," he growled at Jimmy, huddled miserably in the seat beside him,
"you sure did play a bonehead trick this time. She'll just spoil the
fun for all of us."
"Ah, cut it out," retorted Jimmy, wriggling uncomfortably. "She really
isn't half bad once you get to know her."
"Neither is poison," snorted Bob, as the car chugged wearily once or
twice, then settled down to business. "If we ever get out of this
alive, we'll be lucky."
However, maybe it was the sunshine, or maybe it was Joel Banks'
conversation that wrought the change in her. Be that as it may, Aunty
Bixby unbent surprisingly in the next few minutes. Bob and Jimmy kept
an interested eye on the back seat where Joel Banks patiently shouted
dry jokes into the old woman's trumpet to the accompaniment of the
latter's amused cackle.
"You see!" Jimmy said proudly. "I told you she wasn't half bad if you
only got to know her."
And then, just when they were within half a mile of their destination
the miserable thing happened. There was a sharp explosion and an
ominous whistling of escaping air.
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