“What do you think he means to do, now he’s got the money?” Bumpus asked.
“Oh! put for home and hide it away in a stocking, most likely,” Allan laughingly remarked.
“He acted as if he was afraid we’d repent, and want the money back,” suggested the patrol leader. “That price was about twice as much as the rattle-trap is worth, you see.”
“You don’t think he’s hurrying off to get into town and report that there are suspicious characters on the road who talk English, and may be spies from across the Channel?” ventured Giraffe, uneasily.
“Worse than that, it may be,” said Bumpus mysteriously.
“Explain what you mean, then,” demanded Giraffe.
“Mebbe he stole the car somewhere,” suggested the other, “and before we know it we’ll be hauled up for the job.”
The thought was far from pleasant. In the present disturbed state of the Rhine country any one who did not have the stamp of the Fatherland on his face and in his tongue was apt to fare harshly if placed under a cloud by any circumstances.
“Well, the sooner we get busy and fix up our new purchase the better, I should say, no matter where the man got it,” Allan went on to remark.
Thad thought the idea so good that, taking off his coat, he started in to working at the engine. He had enough experience to know what was wrong, and how to go about fixing the defect, with Allan at his back to give occasional bits of advice which helped out considerably.