Besides, Ollie was cranking up the big car and making ready to bring it along in pursuit.
The smell of sizzling engine became stronger as Matt drew closer to the runabout. The girl, with a very white face, had turned in her seat and was staring toward Matt with startled eyes. At the same moment she had brought the car to a stop.
Big John, on seeing Matt draw abreast of the runabout, halted and looked around for Ollie and the touring car.
"Will you give me a ride into Madison?" Matt asked of the girl, as respectfully as he could in the circumstances.
"What's—what's the matter?" asked the girl.
"That fellow, back there, tried to rob me. I don't think he will follow me far, on a public highway in broad daylight—if you will let me ride in the runabout."
"But the bearings are chewed up!" cried the girl; "I'm going home on the reverse."
"Take the other seat, please," said Matt. "I know something about motors, and perhaps I can handle the car so as to get more speed out of it with less rack on the engine."
Without a word the girl changed to the other seat and Matt leaped into the car beside her.
The next moment he had advanced the spark, thrown in the high-speed clutch, and they were shooting down a long slope.