probably they had stolen the machine. I
thought that, not only because they were always looking back, because
they might have expected to be chased just for speeding, but because
they were so tough looking. Anyway, they were pretty low-grade fellows
to be in such a high-grade car, that was one sure thing. Besides, I
knew that the fellow that was running that car wasn't the regular
chauffeur, because the regular chauffeur of a car always kind of slides
out very easy without rubbing against the steering gear. One thing sure,
you can always tell if a man is used to running a car, especially some
particular car.

Both fellows were on the platform now, and the one that came first said,
"What yez doin' here; blockin' the road?"

I guess I shouldn't have told them anything, but I said, "We rolled down
from near the store up there and it was lucky we managed to stop right
here, or we'd have been in the lake. It's no easy job managing those
brakes."

"No?" he said, kind of funny, and then looked at the other fellow.

Then they both went inside and I could see one of them looked out of the
window up the road, while the other threw his cap on the floor and put
on Connie's scout hat that was hanging in the car. He whispered to the
other fellow and then the other fellow turned around and grabbed Wig's
hat off his head and put it on his own head.

"Run her down, that's the only thing," one of them said; "and blamed
quick about it, too. You kids git off'er this car if you don't want to
be drowned."

I saw what they were going to do. They went out on the other platform
and kicked the ratchet out and let the wheel spin. But the car didn't
move. Then they came through to do the same thing to the other one. They
were going to start the car and jump off. I knew it would start right
away, because the grade was so steep. I stood right there in the aisle,
blocking their way and I said:

"This car belongs to us and you're not going to run it into the lake.
Maybe you heard of Mr. John Temple; he gave it to us. If you start it,
you won't be able to stop it. Maybe it's worth more than that auto for
all you know. Anyway, it is to us, and you're not going to run it into
the lake--you're not."

He just swore and hit me in the face and I went staggering against one
of the seats. Everything went all whizzing around and for a couple of
seconds my head buzzed so that I couldn't stand up straight. But even
still I wasn't scared of him and I fo