"Oh, I don't suspect your man--not for an instant," Jack assured the
garage owner. "The truth is, I think I can guess just where to place
the blame."

"Hodges turned this car over to you for a pleasure jaunt, didn't he?"
demanded the garage owner.

"Yes."

"And it was the same fellow who took this car out before daylight. It
wasn't used again until it was sent around for your party. Mr. Benson,
I think we can both guess whom to suspect in this desperately wicked
piece of business. If I can find that rascal, Hodges, I'll certainly
lay violent hands on him!"

"Don't!" advised Jack, quietly. "In the first place, Mr. Graves, if you
took the law into your own hands, you'd only get yourself into trouble.
In the second place"--Jack Benson lowered his voice still more--"I
know, as well as I know I'm living, that Hodges was only the agent of
some one else. Mr. Graves, do me a great favor--a great favor to all
our party. For the present, if you must say anything, say just as
little as possible about the accident. Let it go at that. Don't throw
out any suspicions against Hodges. Don't let anyone know that I have
any suspicions. Just keep the whole thing quiet--and in that way
we'll get the authors of this outrage."

"Are you sure?" demanded Graves, his look still darkly vengeful.

"You might talk to just one person--when there's no one else around to