Faster speeded the auto.  They went over the Hudson River on a ferry boat, and, as soon as Jersey City was reached, the car was sent along as fast as the law allowed.

“I wonder if I can get on their trail?” thought Larry, as he watched the houses skim by, and held himself in his seat, beside Grace, to avoid the jouncing and swaying caused by the uneven streets.

“Do you think ve vill haff a race?” asked the German, as they neared the house where Mr. Potter had been hiding.

“Maybe.  I hope so, anyhow.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?  Don’t you want to help find Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, but I am of nervousness yet in my new car.  I haff never raced, und I might do some damage.”

“Let me run her,” suggested Larry.  “I’ve had some experience with autos, and I guess I can manage yours.  I ran one like this several times when I was out with Mr. Emberg.”

“Den take der vheel,” went on Fritsch.  “I comes back wid Miss Potter und you can race.”

“Oh, Larry!  Can you do it?” and Grace looked a little alarmed.

“Of course I can,” and the young reporter spoke confidently.

The car was stopped and the change made.  Larry soon found he could manage the various levers all right, and that the car responded readily to his guiding hand.

“This must be the place,” he said, after they had ridden for half an hour at as high speed as they dared, considering the fact that there were policemen on every other block.

He stopped the car in front of a house that seemed to be uninhabited.  It answered the description Retto had given, and Larry knocked on the door.  After several minutes the portal opened a crack, showing that it was held by a chain.

“Is Mr. Potter here?” asked Larry, though he knew the missing millionaire was not.  The man who had opened the door looked suspiciously at the inquirer.  “It’s all right,” the young reporter went on.  “I come from Mr. Retto.  I want to aid Mr. Potter.”

“You’re too late,” was the answer.  “They’ve got him into their clutches.  They’ll work their game before he knows that everything is all right, and that it is safe for him to show himself.  If they had only waited half an hour all would have been well.  I just got another telephone message from Retto, saying that all matters were satisfactorily adjusted, and that there was no further need for Mr. Potter to hide.  But he doesn’t know this.  I have no way of telling him, and he’ll sign the papers before those men will let him go.”

“Tell me in which direction they went and I’ll go after them!” cried Larry.  “They can’t have gone far, and we can overtake them in the auto!”

“They have a car, too,” replied the man.  “A fast one.  They managed, by a trick, to get Mr. Potter into it.  If I could only get word to him he could laugh at their efforts!  If I could only send him a message!”

“What is the message?” asked Larry.