“You seem to be interested. Do you know anything about cars?”
“Oh, yes,” returned Jack, quietly.
“Would you like to run it down to the station?”
“Yes,” and both boys got in and Jack ran it out of the shed and toward the road.
As they passed the school buildings they saw Peter Herring and some of his cronies standing together, Herring saying quite audibly:
“There’s Percival and his chauffeur. I guess that’s what he was before he came here and we gentlemen have to associate with him. H’m! just an auto driver mixing in with gentlemen! It’s a shame.”
Jack did not seem to have heard and gave all his attention to the car, managing it so well that Dick was astonished and said to himself:
“He handles the thing better than I can do it myself. It’s a wonder how many things that boy can do. He may have driven a car, but what of that? That’s no disgrace.”
When they were out of sight of the buildings and going at a good speed down the hill Jack said quietly:
“I used to drive a motor truck with fruit to the railroad station and steamboat landing. Most shippers use horses but my man had a big motor truck and I used to drive it. That’s how I know about cars.”