Why had he come to Columbia, unheralded by any one who knew him or knew anything of him? Was it he and his influence that had caused Mrs. Parsons to turn against Frank and his boy friends after they had been the cause of her release?
How had these men got the silver and the jewels to that rowboat? Had they gone up the river or down? Was their car really standing outside on the road during the time when Mrs. Parsons’ car came in?
And, since there were two robbers who looted the house and tied Mrs. Parsons, who was it driving the automobile that took the thieves away? That is, there must have been a third one if the auto was really standing outside the place and had received a signal from the house.
After all, was the lighting of the match on the river a signal?
“Stop the motor again and see if we can hear him,” Lanky interrupted Frank’s thoughts.
Frank cut off the engine, and from a distance down the river came the sound of the exhaust from the Speedaway. Instantly the engine was started again.
“Was it closer this time?” asked Frank.
“I couldn’t tell with certainty, but I believe it was. I believe we’ve gained a little, but the next mile will tell the story. He has to go around the broad island, and he’s running without lights—taking all kinds of chances.”
“Well, he ran upriver without lights,” replied Frank. “I wondered while we were coming up behind him to-night how he was doing it.”
There was no way to increase speed. The engine was doing its utmost. There was only one way to gain—except that the Rocket might be faster than the Speedaway—and that was to beat Cunningham at maneuvering.