Penny could not see the stranger's face clearly, for his soft felt hat was pulled low over his eyes. His voice, when he spoke, was husky.
"Sure, you can give me a lift if you will. My tire blew out when I was doing seventy. First thing I knew I was in the ditch."
"You're lucky it wasn't a worse accident," replied the detective.
"What's lucky about it?" demanded the stranger irritably.
"Your car doesn't appear much damaged," replied Mr. Nichols, studying the man curiously. "And you don't seem to be hurt. You easily might have been killed traveling at that speed."
"What is this—a lecture in motor safety?" asked the man angrily.
"Not at all," said Mr. Nichols. "Did you say you wanted a ride?"
"Yes; how far are you going?"
"Only to Knob Hill."
"I'll ride along that far anyway," said the stranger.