“Autymobul, is it!” cried Pat. “Take a look at it, sir! It’s all I’m askin’ yez, sir; take one look at it! Would yez call that an autymobul? Sure, ’tis all your life is worth, sir, to set foot in such a thing! Ten accidents they’re after havin’ already with the thing, sir, and the Lord only knows――――” “He’s lying, sir! An automobile’s a heap safer than those horses of his. Look at them, sir! Why, the last time they ran away――――” “Safe and gentle they be, sir! Your own mother’s mother could drive them, sir! Sure, pay no more heed to them blatherskites! Give me your bag, sir, and I’ll have yez up to the hotel while we’re standin’ here talkin――――” “Whoa!” cried Willard suddenly. “_Whoa!_ It’s that off horse again, Pat! Has he got his foot over the traces or what, Tom? _Whoa!_” Pat turned in alarm and Tom made a sudden grab at the man’s suit case and got it! “Right this way, sir, right this way!” said Tom. “Turn her over, Will. There’s your bag, sir. Mind the step. Thank you.” “You’d best leave your name and your home address with me,” cried Pat, following. “An’ don’t ever say I didn’t warn yez! You’re takin’ terrible risks, sir, to be savin’ a quarter of a dollar, bad cess to them thieves an’ robbers that’s got yez! Yah! Go on with your old autymobul! Sure, it’ll fall to heaps afore yez get to the corner! Wait till I tells Connors the way yez have insinooated yerselves into his business! Wait till he gets the police after yez! Wait――――” Pat Herron’s voice was drowned in the whirr of the engine as The Ark started off, but as long as it was in sight he stood and shook his fist after it. [Illustration: “As long as it was in sight he stood and shook his fist at it”] Tom wiped a hand across his forehead. “Gee,” he whispered, “if it took all that work to get all of them I’d quit the business, Will!” CHAPTER XIV JERRY TAKES A RIDE