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The Pit Prop Syndicate by Freeman Wills Crofts
page 6 of 378 (01%)
approached, and no doubt borrow enough petrol to make the city,
but all day he had noticed with surprise how few and far between
the cars were, and there was no certainty that one would pass within
a reasonable time.

Then the sound of the receding lorry, still faintly audible,
suggested an idea. It was travelling so slowly that he might
overtake it before his petrol gave out. It was true he was going
in the wrong direction, and if he failed he would be still farther
from his goal, but when you are twenty-five kilometers from where
you want to be, a few hundred yards more or less is not worth
worrying about.

He wheeled his machine round and followed the lorry at full speed.
But he had not more than started when he noticed his quarry turning
to the right. Slowly it disappeared into the forest.

"Funny I didn't see that road," thought Merriman as he bumped along.

He slackened speed when he reached the place where the lorry had
vanished, and then he saw a narrow lane just wide enough to allow
the big vehicle to pass, which curved away between the tree stems.
The surface was badly cut up with wheel tracks, so much so that
Merriman decided he could not ride it. He therefore dismounted,
hid his bicycle among the trees, and pushed on down the lane on
foot. He was convinced from his knowledge of the country that the
latter must be a cul-de-sac, at the end of which he would find the
lorry. This he could hear not far away, chugging slowly on in front
of him.

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