"Those two fellows looked back as though they expected to be spied upon. But they went to the car, found it was all right (Purt had the radiator blanketed) and got in. The starter worked, and she got into action as slick as a whistle, Dan said. He thought it was all right or he would have raised the window and halloaed at 'em. There were no girls with them. The two fellows went off alone in the car." "There were two men in the car that struck Mr. Nemo of Nowhere," murmured Bobby. "Purt appeared, Dan says, after a little while and looked for the car. He got quite excited. Asked everybody that came along if they had seen it. He was in a stew for fair. And while he was running up and down, popping off like an engine exhaust, back came the car with only one of the fellows in it." "Ha! The mystery deepens," said Jess, in mock tragic tones. "What became of the other villain?" "You answer that question," grinned Chet. "You asked it!" "But what happened then?" asked Laura interestedly. "There was a row between Purt and the fellow who brought back the car. Purt pointed to the mudguard on the off side, as though it had been bent, or scraped in some way----" "That's what struck the man as he fell on Market Street," interrupted Bobby with confidence. "I saw it hit him." "It was blood on the guard," said Laura. "Oh, my!" gasped Jess. "Do you suppose so?" "Like enough," Chet agreed. "But it was too far away for Dan to see. And finally Purt drove off without returning to the house with the other fellow." "But who was he?" Jess asked. "Who?" "The fellow Purt quarreled with for taking the car." "Give it up," said Chet, shaking his head. "And what became of the other man?" Laura queried. "There were two in the car when it hit the man from Alaska," Jess declared. "Gee!" ejaculated Bobby. "There's the nine-ten express west" "Who----What do you mean, young one?" demanded Chet. "'Young one' yourself!" snapped Clara Hargrew, immediately on her dignity. "There are no medals on you for age, Chet Belding." "Or whiskers, either," laughed Laura, slyly eyeing her brother, for she was aware that he had a safety razor hidden away in his bureau drawer. "Come, come!" said Jess, "What about this nine-ten express Bobby spoke of?" "Why," said the younger girl, "I noticed Mr. Belding's clock--the big chronometer in the show window--as we came out of the store that Saturday evening. It was just nine o'clock when we stood there and saw Mr. Nemo of Nowhere run down by the car. Anybody driving that car could have made the railroad station just about in time for the ten minutes' past nine express--the Cannon Ball, don't they call it?" "That is the train," admitted Laura. "But why----" "Just wait a minute. Give me time," advised Bobby. "That car that did the damage was headed for the station." "True," murmured Jess. "At least, it was going in that direction."