“Bedad, that’s right, sir,” Grady now admitted, more calmly. “Yet the man in that car may try to do the rascal——”
“Bosh!” interrupted Nick, with a growl. “The driver of that car was the robber’s confederate.”
“D’ye think so?”
“I know so, Grady,” declared Nick, now plainly seeing how the entire job, which had taken less than five minutes, had been planned and executed.
“I suspected as much when the man slowed down only enough to let the crook aboard,” added Nick. “His approach was timed to a nicety. It’s odds that he was watching the hold-up from beyond the curve of the road, and that he knew just when the other wanted him to approach.”
“Bedad, sir, I reckon you’re right.”
“Oh, we have much the worse of it for the present, Grady, and have been held up by two of the gang of crooks now at work in these parts,” added Nick. “But I will yet break even with them, I give you my word for that.”
“Me tires——”
“I will see that you are paid for them,” interrupted Nick, much to Grady’s satisfaction. “Can you run the machine back to town as it is?”
“Sure, sir, I can.”