Y for Young Driver on the Loose

Chapter 25

“Clutch, always depress the clutch”.  Memories of Peter’s driving lessons came back to Step as the ute gave a feeble shudder.  He stretched his left leg down to the clutch and pushed it in. He checked the gear stick.  It was in neutral. Then turning the key again he heard the engine catch and roar.  Moving the gear lever into first he slowly raised the clutch while pressing the accelerator and breathed a sigh of relief as the car moved forward.  He crept in first gear to the gate where, instead of getting out and opening it he kept driving, pushing it over.  Now to move into second gear and finally third.  He was moving quickly along the dark road, relying on moonlight as he didn’t want to be seen by his pursuers.  For surely they were after him by now.

The car began to hiccup.  Looking at the petrol gauge Step saw with horror that it was on empty.  If only he could find someone else on this lonely road before the ute stopped altogether!

A car came towards him flashing its lights and sounding its horn.  He realised his own lights were turned off, making driving in the dark quite dangerous.  However, the car swished past him and he was alone again on an empty road.

The ute finally came to a standstill in the middle of the road.  Should he run into the bush and hide?  Phineas and his mate were sure to come up behind him at any time.

Step left the ute where it was and began walking along the edge of the road.  Almost immediately he heard a car so jumped behind a thick bush, holding his breath.  The car stopped and he heard two men talking.  It was Phineas and his mate!  Someone tried to start the ute but it was obvious that it was out of petrol.

“I’ll siphon some out of my car,” said the burly man.  “You go look for the kid.”

Step was unsure whether to run or remain hidden. Phineas came closer.  Step could see his big boots.

“Got ya!”  Phineas grabbed hold of Step and pulled him towards the road.

Just then another car arrived.  There were no lights flashing or sirens blaring but to Step’s immense relief it was a police car. Phineas dropped Step like a hot potato but it was too late, both men were handcuffed and pushed into the back of the police car.  Step rode in the front, squeezed between two policemen.  Never had he felt so happy.

It took a while to sort out the mess, as Nurse Smiley called it.  Step was interrogated by the police who found his story incredible but they had no choice but to believe him.  He didn’t know what happened to Phineas and his mate but about an hour after arriving at the police station he was pleased to see Dr Goodheart coming through the door.  Soon he was asleep in the back of the doctor’s car, heading back to Sydney.  He had a vague memory of seeing Nurse Smiley and Tom and Woof before he was carried to his own bed where he sank into oblivion.

When he woke up late on Saturday morning his first thought was for his piece of wood.  Where had he last seen it? Aha! It would be in the police car locked in a shed somewhere in the bush.  He wondered if the police had found it and if he would ever get it back.  Then he fell asleep again.

END OF CHAPTER 25