s
being led, to have all her wits about her. As they entered the town she
kept her eyes open, but there was no sign of Farmer Weeks. He was late,
and Bessie was glad of that, since, now that she could guess what she
must face, every added minute of safety and freedom from interference
was so much clear gain. A plan was forming in her head, a wild, reckless
sort of plan, but still one that offered some chance, at least, of
getting out of a very disagreeable position.

"Hungry!" asked Holmes, turning to them as he slowed the car near the
railroad station. "Well, we'll have some lunch in just a minute. I'm
just going in here to make some inquiries about the roads and I'll be
right back."

Bessie's eyes followed him into the station, and then, just as she
had done before, she slipped from the car as soon as he was inside,
following him cautiously, but feeling that there was less danger than
there had been at the store, since here, if she were surprised, she
could explain that she felt cramped from the long ride, and had gotten
out of the car to restore her circulation. Then, peeping inside, she saw
Holmes talking eagerly, and, as she thought, angrily, to Jake Hoover!

"He'll be here soon--jes' as soon as he can get here," she heard Jake
say. And she heard Holmes's angry reply, and nothing more, since that
was enough, and more than enough, to confirm her fears and make her
understand that if she was to get out of this trap she must make a move
at once. And now, knowing perfectly well the risk she was running, she
sped back to the car, and climbed aboard, but in the front seat, where
Holmes had been sitting, and not next to Dolly, in her own proper place.
For her plan was nothing more nor less than to get away in Holmes's own
car!

Bessie had never driven an automobile in her life, and she knew as
little, almost, as it was possible for anyone to know about them. But
she felt that all the sacrifices she had endured so far would be made
useless unless she got away, and, moreover, she was sure now that Zara
would need her help more than ever. And if she could only get a little
distance away from Holmes, she was sure that she and Dolly would be able
to elude him. So, doing exactly what she had seen Holmes do, she threw
in the clutch, and, with nervous, trembling hands on the wheel of the
big car, guided it as it gathered speed and moved across the railroad
tracks.

From the moment when the idea of making her escape in this