"It sure would," agreed Paul. "Only we haven't time to do it. Say, he can run some; can't he?"
"He sure can. Oh, look at that, would you!" cried Russ.
They had now come in sight of a white house, standing back a little from the road. And in front of the house stood an automobile runabout.
What caused Russ to cry out was the sight of the mysterious man leaping into the auto, the engine of which had evidently been left running. In another moment he was off down the road, going at the limit of speed of the machine.
"Well, we might as well give up now," said Paul, coming to a stop. "I'm done up, anyhow."
"Same here," agreed Russ. "That is, unless we can find another auto."
They saw a man run from the farmhouse from in front of which the auto had been so audaciously taken. He was a physician, it appeared.
"The idea! The idea!" he cried. "That perfect stranger ran up and took my auto. Was he a friend of yours?" he asked as Russ and Paul came up. He looked at them suspiciously.
"A friend! No indeed!" exclaimed Paul. "We want to catch him; but we can't do it now."
They heard the sound of hoofbeats in the road behind them, and, turning, they saw Sandy com-
