"No. At Hambleton. She is at home now----"
"And that Spink just bought a ticket for Hambleton, and has taken the train for that particular burg," declared Harris, with emphasis. "If I'd only been sure of your Aunt Jane's address I would have gone with him."
"Do you really think he's gone to try to buy the farm of her?" questioned Lyddy.
"I most certainly do. He couldn't have made connections easily had he started yesterday after you drove him away from Hillcrest. But he's after the farm."
"And she'll sell it! she'll sell it!" wailed 'Phemie.
"Perhaps not," ventured Lyddy, but her lips were white.
"He can get an option. That's enough," urged Harris. "We've got to head him off."
"How?" cried the older girl, clasping her hands.
"Jumping horse chestnuts!" ejaculated Tom Castle. "It's a cinch! It's easy. You can beat that fellow to Hambleton by way of Adams----"
"But there's no other train that connects at the junction till afternoon," objected Lucas.
"Aw, poof!" exclaimed Tom. "Haven't we got the old buzz-wagon right here? I'll run and see father. He'll let me take it. We'll go over the hill and down to Adams, and take the east road to Hambleton. Why, say! that Spink man won't beat us much."
"It's a great scheme, Tommy!" shouted Harris Colesworth "Go ahead. Tell your father I can run the car, if you can't."
In twenty minutes the big car was rolled out of the barn, and Mr. Castle came out to see the quartette off,--the two girls in the tonneau and Harris and Tom Castle on the front seat.
"You see that he doesn't play hob with that machine, Mr. Colesworth," called Mr. Castle, as they started. "It cost me seven thousand dollars."
"What's seven thousand dollars," demanded Master Tom, recklessly, "to putting the Indian sign on that Professor Spink?"
They were not at all sure, however, that they were going to be able to do this. Professor Spink might easily beat them to Aunt Jane's residence in Hambleton.
But at the speed Tom took the descent of the ridge on the other side, one might have thought that the professor was due to board a flying machine if he wished to travel faster. 'Phemie declared she lost her breath at the top of the hill and that it didn't overtake her again until they stopped at the public garage in Adams to get a supply of gasoline.