"I'll be with you in a little while."
"Why, where you going?" asked Small, and there seemed to be a note of suspicion in his voice.
There was a moment before the reply came and in that moment Tom and Ned made several rapid conclusions. There was no doubt now but what their car had been stolen. These were no state police or local traffic officers who had run the car away for its own safety. They were thieves and had evidently acted from a well-planned motive.
"They know you, Tom, or one of them does," whispered Ned.
"Seems so! By golly! I'd give a good deal to know just who is back of all this!" Tom's voice though low was tense and angry.
"Maybe we can find out," whispered Ned.
"Hush!" cautioned Tom, and at that moment Small spoke again, saying:
"Where you going? What's the game? Why don't you come in with me and help rustle some grub on that electric stove I saw."
"I can't come just now," was the answer.
"Getting cold feet?" demanded the other man sullenly. "Say, if you're trying to double cross me——"