"That's true enough," said the other, "but I was just thinking how lucky a fellow considers himself when he does have insurance in a case of this kind. There was an illustration of it up state just this spring. Man had a new car. Used it just a little, over winter. In April it was stolen and it never was found. He got a check for pretty nearly all he paid for it because he had insurance. He didn't have to lose any sleep, you see." "Also, you may be able to sell him another car, because he has the money to pay for one," suggested Dave, his eyes twinkling. "Now you're trying to jolly me," returned the young man good-humoredly. "But I didn't mean it that way. Fact is, the man was away up at Harkville--'way out of our territory for Torpedoes." "Hello, now!" exclaimed Way, eagerly. "Was there a Torpedo stolen in Harkville, recently?" "Not lately. Two months ago," the other answered. "Who lost it?" And again Way glanced sharply at Dave. The latter was listening to every word but taking care to betray no unusual interest. "H--m--m--Hull, Kull--why, that's it! Kull was his name. But _your_ car was not a Torpedo, was it?" If the young man thought that in this question he guessed the reason for Phil's wish to know more of the incident mentioned, he guessed wrong, of course. But unwilling to tell just why he was interested, until he should have had time to think, Phil gave him no enlightenment. "No," answered Way, "the Torpedo people don't build a six-cylinder car, do they?" "That's right, yours was a six," said the other. "Makes you so much the greater loser, with no insurance." "What luck did the Harkville man have finding his car? Someone must have looked for it even if he did have insurance." "Guess they _did_ look for it," said the garage man forcibly. "First Kull and the police, then the insurance people and detectives, and believe _me_, insurance companies don't care how much it costs to find a stolen car if they've had to pay for it. They do get stung though, and last I heard, Kull had his money, for his car was never found, high or low. Strange case! Never a clue to go by. A padlock pried off Kull's little garage and the machine gone and--there you are." "Strange!" muttered Phil, but he was thinking too, that, though this was exceedingly interesting information, he must not allow it to take his thoughts from the loss that meant so much more to himself and friends, personally. So, thanking the young man, he and Dave left the garage. "Why didn't you tell him about the Torpedo? She's the Harkville car as sure as you're born!" spoke MacLester, immediately the two were beyond hearing. "It might have done no harm, and again--there's the trouble! I wanted to talk it over with you. It seems small and mean, but still we didn't pay out railroad fare and all that to help find the owner of that Torpedo. We wired Kull and did our part. He may be in Griffin right now to claim the property."