Ted examined the machinery carefully, but could find nothing wrong with
it until he discovered that it had exhausted its supply of gasoline.
But he learned that the grocer at the village, half a mile away, had
gasoline for sale, and two young fellows volunteered to go after some
while Ted overhauled the car.
In half an hour he was ready to start. He made Scrub get into the seat,
and, shaking hands with the constable and shouting a merry good-by to
the others, he started for St. Louis.
It was past midnight when he drew up in front of the Stratford Hotel,
hungry and tired. Scrub was fast asleep, and, taking him in his arms,
Ted entered the hotel.
As he stepped inside, the clerk stared at him as if he had seen a ghost.
"How's everything?" asked Ted of the clerk.
"Great Scott, where did you come from?" asked, the clerk, and added
hastily: "Better hurry upstairs to your room. Everybody is crazy about
your disappearance."
Ted went up in the elevator with the boy still sleeping in his arms.
There was a light in his room and a confused murmur of voices.
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