From the police station the two young civil engineers hurried down to the telegraph office, and there sent a long message to the folks in Crumville. No message had arrived for them, so they took it for granted that no news had come in at the Wadsworth place since their departure.
“And now what’s the next move?” queried Roger, who in this affair looked to Dave as the leader.
“I think we had better travel along that Kapton road and see if we can find out anything more about that automobile and those in it,” was the reply. “There is certainly no use in our continuing the trip along the railroad.”
It was growing dark when Crandall was left behind, and they journeyed forward on the Kapton road slowly, keeping their eyes open for anything that might suggest a further solution of the mystery they were endeavoring to unravel.
“We might stop and question that Mr. Merrick the little girls mentioned,” suggested Roger.
“Yes, we can do that, although I doubt if the old man can add much to what we already know.”
They found Mr. Aaron Merrick a very fussy old individual and hard to talk to. He remembered the incident of the automobile very well, and was highly indignant, but he could not tell anything about who had been driving the car or who was inside.
“They went by me jest like a comet!” he explained. “I had to jump fer my life, or I’d been run over sure! All them pesky rascals ought to be put in prison. I don’t believe in autermobiles, anyway,” and he looked rather indignantly at the two chums.
“Well, we are after the fellow who ran that auto,” answered Roger. “And if we catch him he’ll go to prison fast enough.”
“What’s the matter? Did he steal that there car?”