“I’m game if the rest are,” came the ready reply.
In rapid succession Tubby, Sim and Andy announced themselves willing to take part in the excursion. It would show them a section of country that was new; and promised to be quite an enjoyable diversion. Evidently, then, Rob concluded, Ralph did not mean to look that curio dealer up in a hurry, so as to settle the question of Peleg’s innocence or guilt.
“I wouldn’t be much surprised,” Rob told himself, “if Ralph sort of shrinks at doing that. He would like to get his stamps back, but while the case is open and unsettled he can try and convince himself that the boy isn’t guilty. Once he has the proof dead to rights and Peleg must go. It does Ralph a whole lot of credit, this trying to give the boy all the chance he can.”
They certainly had a glorious run of it on the way to Flemington, and the scenery was all that the enthusiastic Ralph had promised. He also managed to return by another roundabout road, so that they could see still another section of country.
“Ralph, slow up, won’t you?” suddenly called out Sim, who was sitting on the back seat. “I want to get a better look at something through the trees over here on the right. There, I saw him again, and now I’m dead sure of it.”
“Why, it certainly does look mighty much like our Peleg,” agreed Tubby, who had also managed to crane his fat neck so as to obtain a passing view; “but whatever would he be doing away over here, a long way from your place; and he seemed to be driving a horse and buggy, too. Ralph, what do you know about this?”
Ralph stopped the car, and also glanced back, for as he had to keep his eyes on the road most of the time, it was not easy for him to turn around, lest by so doing he land them in a ditch.
“Yes, that’s Peleg,” he announced, presently, and Rob could see that the altogether strange appearance of the farm boy over in this section when he should have turned up at the Jeffords’ place surprised Ralph.
“What do you reckon he’s doing over here?” continued Tubby, bound to “pump” the other until Ralph yielded up all the information at his disposal.
“Well, I can explain that part of it,” was the reply. “You see, Peleg’s sister is working out at that house where he’s going right now. Evidently Peleg has hired that rig in town for the purpose of paying his sister a visit.”