"Elaine!" he cried. "They've kidnapped Elaine!"
What had really happened, as we learned later from Elaine and
others, was that when the cross roads was reached, the three
crooks in the limousine had stopped long enough to speak to an
accomplice stationed there, according to their plan for a getaway.
He was a tough looking individual who might have been hoboing it
to the city.
When, a few minutes later, Kennedy and Elaine had approached the
fork, their driver had slowed up, as if in doubt which way to go.
Craig had stuck his head out of the window, as I had done, and,
seeing the crossroads, had told the chauffeur to stop. There stood
the hobo.
"Did a car pass here, just now--a big car?" called Craig.
The man put his hand to his ear, as if only half comprehending.
"Which way did the big car go?" repeated Kennedy.
The hobo approached the taxicab sullenly, as if he had a grudge
against cars in general.
One question after another elicited little that could be construed
as intelligence. If Craig had only been able to see, he would have
found out that, with his back toward the taxicab driver, the hobo
held one hand behind him and made the sign of the Clutching Hand,
glancing surreptitiously at the driver to catch the answering
sign, while Craig gazed earnestly up the two roads.
At last Craig gave him up as hopeless.
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