SECRET SERVICE
Mr. Speedwell possessed some little ingenuity in mechanics himself, and
perhaps Dan had inherited his taste for the same study. The boys knew
they had a hard task before them when, on getting the wrecked car out of
the farm wagon, they turned it over and ran it in upon the shop floor.
Their father’s opinion was anxiously awaited by the brothers.
He was not a man who grew enthusiastic without cause, and was slow in
forming his judgment. It was not until he had been able to thoroughly go
over the wrecked car that he told Dan and Billy what he thought of their
bargain.
“If we had the tools here, we three could put that car in as good
condition as she was when she came from the shop,” he finally said,
wiping his hands on a bit of waste. “As she stands she is worth three
times what you gave for her, I am sure. And after we have made all the
repairs we can make, the expense of putting her in first-class shape and
repainting her—if you are content with a plain warship drab color—ought
not to be above seventy-five dollars.”
“Bully!” shouted Billy, flinging his cap into the air.
“And can you help us at once, Dad?” asked Dan, eagerly. “We want to
enter for that thousand mile endurance test if we can. It will come in
Thanksgiving week, and we sha’n’t have to miss school.”
“I will go to work on it this very day,” returned Mr. Speedwell, smiling
at their enthusiasm.
But he pointed out again that there would be many things besides the
repainting of the car that they could not do. And so, after school the
next afternoon, Dan and Billy went over to the Darringford shops to see
what kind of an arrangement they could make for the repair of the drab
car.
The boys had a friend in Mr. Robert Darringford, who was really the head
of the concern; but they did not wish to seem to ask a favor of him, so
went directly to the overseer of the department in which the wrecked car
would have to be repaired. This overseer was the father of one of their
fellow-club members, “Biff” Hardy, and Biff himself worked in the shop.
“Fred was telling me about the car you boys got hold of,” said Mr.
Hardy. “I guess he knows something about it, and he saw it in the tree.”
“What does he say?” asked Billy, quickly.
“Says we can fix it up like new.”
“And you can do it at once?”
“Don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t. Of course, Mr. Avery can tell
you better than I,” said the foreman.
Dan and Billy looked doubtfully at each other. They did not like to ask
any favor of the superintendent of the shops, for Francis Avery,
Chanceford’s brother, was not their friend.
“You know of nothing now that will be ahead of our job?” asked Dan,
gravely.
“Not a thing. I was just going over the order book. There is very little
outside repairing to be done just now.”
“Then, if we get the machine down here to-morrow it’s likely that you
can go right to work on it?”
“Guess so,” said Mr. Hardy, confidently.
As they walked up town the brothers chanced to pass the Farmers’
National Bank. Through the barred window Mr. Baird, the cashier, saw
them, and beckoned them to enter.
“Boys, I have a very serious proposal to make you,” the cashier said.
“We have just had a conference with Mr. Briggs, one of our big
depositors. He has told us of the race he had with the car of those
robbers who broke into Mr. Sudds’ house, and whom we are sure are the
same that robbed this bank.”
“And I am positive they are the same men,” said Dan.
“Me, too,” agreed Billy. “And they’ve got some automobile! It’s as good
a car as Mr. Briggs’ new one.”
“Well, as to that I cannot say,” returned the cashier. “But Mr. Briggs
has told us of the connection of you two brothers with the thieves, and
he has put a thought into my mind.”
“And that is?” asked Dan, seriously.
“That you boys—at least, Billy, here—will be able to recognize and
identify those robbers.”
“I should say I would!” declared Billy. “At least, the fellow who bosses
them, and the man who was wounded at Mr. Sudds’, were both without masks
or goggles for part of the time. I’d know them anywhere. And the
chauffeur, George, I believe I should know by his figure.”
“I couldn’t be sure myself,” said Dan, doubtfully. “I made a mistake in
that matter of identification once. I took Henri, Mr. Briggs’ own
chauffeur, for one of the thieves.”
“Well, we will say, then, that Billy is the only one who can positively
identify the men; but you both know the car.”
“If I ever see one like it it will either be the robbers’ car or Mr.
Briggs’,” laughed Dan. “They can’t spring a third one on me.”
“Well. You see what I am getting at,” said Mr. Baird, impressively. “It
is in your power to aid the bank. I understand that you boys have bought
a motor car?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you will be riding around the country in it a good deal.”
“We hope to,” declared the brothers, in chorus.
“Then, it is my firm belief, boys, that you will some day run up against
those three men, either with or without the maroon car,” declared Mr.
Baird, impressively.
“Oh, do you think so?” cried Dan.
“They have been successful in at least two robberies. Of course, the
whole county—half the state, indeed—is awake to their actions now, and
they will have to keep quiet for a while. But, having been so successful
in this manner of work—this automobile-highway robbery—they will wish to
try it again.”
“That seems reasonable,” admitted Dan.
“And if we could only find them!” cried Billy.
“That is the idea,” said Mr. Baird. “If you find them, bring about their
arrest. The bank will back you up in it, no matter how much it costs, in
time, trouble, or money. And, boys, you will lose nothing yourselves if
you bring about the arrest of the thieves.”
The Speedwells went forth considerably excited. “I tell you, Dan!” Billy
whispered, “wouldn’t it be great if we came across those three rascals?”
“It would give me a whole lot of satisfaction to see them put where the
dogs wouldn’t bite them!” agreed the older boy. “But I’d like to have
their car.”
“Do you suppose it is a Postlethwaite, like Mr. Briggs’?” asked Billy.
“It’s a six-cylinder car without doubt, and looks enough like Mr.
Briggs’ to be own sister to it. Hullo! Here’s Burton Poole and his car,”
Dan added.
“Come along!” said Billy, shortly. “Chance Avery is with him. I could
give that fellow a piece of my mind.”
“It wouldn’t do any good,” admonished Dan. “We don’t know that he
chopped down our derrick.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure. Who else would be mean enough? We haven’t many
enemies, I hope.”
“No. Hullo, Burton!”
The car Dan had mentioned came to a halt right beside the Speedwell
boys, and its owner hailed Dan. Therefore the latter had to speak.
Chance Avery, who was driving it, had shut off the power, and now he got
down and took out the gasoline can. They were all in front of
Appleyard’s store.
“I hear you got Maxey’s car out of the tree, all hunky-dory,” said
Burton, heartily, “and I’m glad of it.”
“You don’t suppose your partner will offer us his congratulations; do
you?” asked Billy, significantly, as Chance went off, scowling, to buy
gasoline.
“Oh, well, he has a grouch,” laughed Burton Poole. “But, he’s making
this old car hum! I never could get such speed out of her.”
“You don’t give her enough attention,” laughed Dan, as Burton got out
lazily, and opened the gasoline tank.
“Never mind; I add weight to her when we’re racing,” chuckled Poole.
He turned carelessly away from the open tank as he spoke and suddenly
spied a youngster standing on the curb—a little fellow of not more than
ten years with a lighted cigarette stuck in his mouth! Poole suddenly
grew angry.
“Ted Berry! What are you smoking that thing for?” he demanded, sharply.
Little Berry was Burton’s nephew, and in spite of Burton’s haughtiness
and laziness, he was rather a decent fellow, and took an elder-brotherly
interest in his sister’s boy.
“G’wan!” returned Teddy Berry, who had begun to run with a pretty rough
set of youngsters, and resented his young uncle’s interference. “You
didn’t pay for this smoke.”
“Let me get my hands on you!” began Burton, in wrath, leaping for the
saucy little fellow.
Ted, however, was as elusive as an eel. He dodged under Burton’s arm and
would have got away had he not slid on the mud in the gutter, right
behind the automobile.
“Now I’ve got you!” cried Burton, leaping again and catching the little
fellow by the shoulder.
Ted had withdrawn the cigarette from his mouth. It was in his hand as
his uncle grabbed him. The next instant it flashed through the air—both
Dan and Billy saw it—and there sounded a deafening explosion and a
tongue of flame leaped from the auto’s gasoline tank!