“And they got ours?” demanded John delightedly.
“That’s what it seems,” replied the tramp quietly. “I suspected there might be some trouble of the kind so I went around there and sure enough I found this car just as I half expected to. Your friends have cleared out and left you, have they?”
“They have gone back home,” explained John.
“Well, that’s all right. We’ll beat them there yet. You get in and I’ll see what time I can make.”
“You’re sure you know how to drive?” inquired John. “Because if you don’t know how I can do something at it myself.”
“My ‘deah boy,’” lisped the tramp, “don’t distress your little heart about my being able to drive the car. You get in here and if you have any fault to find I’ll resign and let you take the wheel.”
“We ought to have something to eat,” said John, “but I haven’t a cent of money.”
“So I understand. It took all the money there was in the crowd to buy tickets for three boys.”
“How did you know?”
“Never mind that. I knew you didn’t have any money and I knew too that I would have to furnish what we needed on our trip. I managed to get together twenty-three cents. I think that’s just the amount one ought to have when he is leaving in a hurry, don’t you?” laughed the tramp.