“How did the man who jumped out look?” asked Fred.
“He was a tall man, with black hair and real black eyes that seemed to look right through me,” said Martha, and shivered a little as she spoke. “Oh, he was a perfectly horrid man!”
“That was Carson Davenport, I’ll bet a dollar!” exclaimed her brother. “Davenport is tall and has black hair and black eyes.”
“What about the fellow who stayed in the car?” asked Randy.
“We couldn’t see him very well. He had his coat collar turned up and his cap pulled down over his eyes.”
“I told Martha and Mary to stay close to us,” said Miss Lambert, who evidently felt that she must say something in her own defense. “But they dropped behind, and this was the result. However, I don’t think the men would have dared to carry them off in such a high-handed fashion.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew this man Davenport as we do,” answered Jack. “The fellow has done time in prison and is a thorough rascal and the associate of rascals.”
The girls were so excited that it was not until they had entered Clearwater Hall and reported to Miss Garwood, the head of the establishment, that they could tell a clear and connected story. No one had taken down the car number of the automobile, nor had any one recognized the make of the machine.
“All I can say is that it was a very fine car—nothing cheap, like a Ford,” said Mary.
“If only we had the number it might help a whole lot,” returned Fred.