A day or two later Jimmy straightened things out and Tom finally became pacified. About this time they received a reply to their application to the Police Board. They had not expected to get what they had asked for and so were not greatly disappointed. The Board informed them that in its judgment there was no demand for added carriage facilities in the part of town petitioned for and that their application was denied. If, however, the petitioners cared to apply for a stand at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets their application would probably be favorably considered. “Main and Chestnut Streets!” growled Tom. “Why, that’s half-way to the station! No one would ever find us there!” “They know that,” replied Willard. “That’s why they offer it to us. I hope Connors chokes! Well, I guess that keeps us out of town, Tom.” “Indeed it doesn’t,” said Tom stoutly. “I’ve been thinking.” “You want to be careful this hot weather,” observed his chum with an attempt at humor. “They won’t let us stop the car anywhere,” Tom went on, disregarding the slur, “but they can’t prevent us from driving up and down the street, can they?” “I don’t suppose so. Why?” “Well, then what’s to prevent me from taking the car up to the hotel just before train time and driving it back and forth slowly? If anyone wanted to get in I’d have a right to stop, I suppose.” “Of course you would! Why didn’t we think of that before? But――but it will use up a lot of gasoline, won’t it?” “Not much. Besides――” and Tom looked savage――“I’d waste a gallon a day to get ahead of Connors!” “And I’d pay for it out of my own pocket!” declared Willard. “That’s what we’ll do, then, Tom. We’ll try it for a few days, anyhow. We’ll start to-morrow morning and I’ll go with you.” It was a rather tedious and trying job keeping The Ark on the move all the time, but it answered the purpose apparently quite as well as keeping it stationary. If a person wanted to ride down in the car, he didn’t hesitate to use his lungs, and Tom, always with an eye on the hotel entrance, drew up and took him in. The policeman on the beat watched proceedings closely and was plainly disgruntled, and had Tom given him the least excuse he would have swooped down and made trouble. But Tom was too wise to stop The Ark for an instant save to pick up or set down passengers. Quite often now Willard took the wheel and Tom sat anxiously beside him, ready to take control in an emergency. Tom could be as cool as a cucumber just as long as he was running the car himself, but when Willard, or even Jimmy Brennan, had the wheel he was as fidgety as a hen with one chicken! However, it was not long before Willard convinced him of his ability to run the car without mishap, and there finally came a day――Tom had contracted a sore-throat and was forced to keep to the house for twenty-four hours――when Willard conducted The Ark to and from all trains without aid or supervision.