Of course they were talking about him! Any fool would know that much.

Also they were discussing the best means of getting rid of him, or of saddling upon him the crime of stealing the car, or some other angle at which he touched their problem.
Under cover of testing the rear wheel farthest from them, he peeked into the tonneau and took a good look at the small traveling bag they had kept on the seat between them all the way.

He wished he dared--But they were coming back, as if they would not trust him too long alone with that bag.

He bent again to the tire, and when they climbed back into the curtained car he was getting the pump tubing out to pump up that particular tire a few pounds.
They did not pay much attention to him.

They seemed preoccupied and not too friendly with each other, Bud thought.