I heard a roar of a horn, one of those
ear-shattering inventions that paralyze one's faculties, a grinding of
gears and a slither of rubber tyres, and then the yell of a human voice.
As I turned to jump I was nearly blinded by two enormous headlights. And
the voice that had yelled, a half-familiar voice, shouted, 'What the
blazes do you go to sleep in the middle of the bally road for, eh?' I
couldn't see anything at all until I had reached the grass at the side
of the road, when I made out a long automobile standing askew across the
road and panting. There was a low, semicircular seat with a man in it
behind a large steering wheel, a seat so slanted that its occupant was
practically recumbent. He had ear-flaps and monstrous goggles. I had a
momentary mental picture of him as some Roman staff-officer rushing back
to the base in his chariot. He had an imperious air as he glared at me
and backed his machine with one hand to straighten it. I found my voice.
I said, 'I have as much right to the road as you.' 'What?' he said, in a
high note. 'To stand in the middle and block the traffic. What are you?
An escaped lunatic? Have you made your will, hey?' 'Oh,' I retorted, 'If
you've bought the road, or the earth, I'll get off it, of course. I
should have said _you_ were the escaped lunatic going along at that
pace.' He laughed, a high, reedy cackle that seemed familiar, rose
stiffly out of his place and stepped down as though he had cramp.
'Ouch!' he said, bending and straightening to unlimber himself. 'Where
are we, hey? Barnet? Taking an evening stroll after the office?' And he
took off his goggles and I saw my young brother's bright dark eyes and
high-bridged nose and sarcastic mouth. He shouted with laughter, went
off again into his reedy cry, and screamed, ''Pon my soul, it's Charley!
Well, I'm ... Where in the wide, wide world did _you_ spring from?
Revisiting the glimpses of the moon? Good heavens!' And he gripped my
shoulder.

"That was how we met in after years. He was at his ease at once. I was
bewildered. 'By Jove, I nearly did for you that time. Nobody but a
madman would stand in the middle of the Great North Road to admire the
scenery, old chap. It's suicide. An amateur would have had you in
mince-meat.' He stooped to examine his brake. 'Charred, by Jove! And I
expect some of the gears are stripped too. Get in.'

"'Get in!' I said in astonishment. 'What for?'

"'Why, come up to town and have dinner with me, of co