Danny  Ch. 7 (2)  
Page 56-61

7. Read Story – Page 56

Page 56

The Baby Austin

Part 2

I kept going.

I knew every bit of the road,
every curve
and every little rise
and dip.

Once
a fox
flashed out of
the hedge
in front of me

and ran
across the road
with his long
bushy tail
streaming out
behind him.

I saw him clearly
in the glow
of my headlamps.

His fur
was red-brown
and he had
a white muzzle.

It was a thrilling sight.

I began to worry
about the motor.

I knew very well
it would be certain
to overheat
if I drove for long
in either first
or second gear.

I was in second.

I must now
change up
into third.

I took
a deep breath
and grasped
the gear-lever
again.

Foot off
the accelerator.

Clutch in.

Gear-lever up
and across
and up again.

Clutch out.

I had done it!


I pressed down
on the accelerator.

The speedometer
crept up
to thirty.

I gripped
the wheel
very tight
with both hands

and stayed
in the middle
of the road.

At this rate
I would soon
be there.

Hazell’s Wood
was not
on the main road.

To reach it
you had to
turn left
through a gap
in the hedge
and go uphill
over a bumpy track (n. 小徑)
for about
a quarter
of a mile.

If the ground
had been wet,
there would have been
no hope
of getting there
in a car.

The End

ThEnd