Then they said good-night to the old man, who, plainly delighted at the thought that he had been of some service to them, and at this proof of his sharpness, of which he was always boasting, rose and hobbled into his house.

“He’s really a wonderful old man,” said Dick.

“He certainly is,” agreed Jack.  “His memory seems to be as good as ever, and he’s awfully active, too.  He’s got rheumatism, but he can see and hear as well as he ever could, my father says.”

They walked on, each turning over in his mind what they had heard about Graves.

“That’s how he knew we were here,” said Dick finally.  “I’ve been puzzling about that.  I remember now seeing that car as we went by.  But of course I didn’t pay any particular attention to it, except that I saw a little American flag on it.”

“Yes, they’re supposed to be Americans, you know,” said Jack.  “And I suppose they carry the flag so that the car won’t be taken for the army.  The government has requisitioned almost all the cars in the country, you know.”

“I’m almost afraid to think about this,” said Dick, after a moment of silence.  “Graves must know those people in that house, if he’s riding about in their car.  And they —­”

He paused, and they looked at one another.

“I don’t know what to do!” said Dick.  “I wish there was some way to tell Harry about what we’ve found out,” Jack started.

“I nearly forgot!” he said.  “We’d better cut for my place.  I told Harry we’d be there if he needed a telephone, you know.  Come on!”

CHAPTER XI

THE FIRST BLOW

To Harry, as he was taken off to the police station, it seemed the hardest sort of hard luck that his chase of Graves should be interrupted at such a critical time and just because he had been over-speeding.  But he realized that he was helpless, and that he would only waste his breath if he tried to explain matters until he was brought before someone who was really in authority.  Then, if he had any luck, he might be able to clear things up.  But the men who arrested him were only doing their duty as they saw it, and they had no discretionary power at all.

When he reached the station he was disappointed to find that no one was on duty except a sleepy inspector, who was even less inclined to listen to reason than the constables.  “Everyone who breaks the law has a good excuse, my lad,” he said.  “If we listened to all of them we might as well close up this place.  You can tell your story to the magistrate in the morning.  You’ll be well treated tonight, and you’re better off with us than running around the country —­ a lad of your age!  If I were your father, I should see to it that you were in bed and asleep before this.”

There was no arguing with such a man, especially when he was sleepy.  So Harry submitted, very quietly, to being put into a cell.  He was not treated like a common prisoner, that much he was grateful for.  His cell was really a room, with windows that were not even barred.  And he saw that he could be very comfortable indeed.